Spin-orbit torque driven multi-level switching in He+irradiated W-CoFeB-MgO Hall bars with perpendicular anisotropy

Zhao X, Liu Y, Zhu D, Sall M, Zhang X, Ma H, Langer J, Ocker B, Jaiswal S, Jakob G, Klaeui M, Zhao W, Ravelosona D (2020)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2020

Journal

Applied Physics Letters American Institute of Physics (AIP)

Book Volume: 116

Article Number: 0010679

Journal Issue: 24

DOI: 10.1063/5.0010679

Abstract

We have investigated the spin-orbit torque-driven magnetization switching in W/CoFeB/MgO Hall bars with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. He+ ion irradiation through a mask has been used to reduce locally the effective perpendicular anisotropy at a Hall cross. Anomalous Hall effect measurements combined with Kerr microscopy indicate that the switching process is dominated by domain wall (DW) nucleation in the irradiated region followed by rapid domain propagation at a current density as low as 0.8 MA/cm2 with an assisting in-plane magnetic field. Thanks to the implemented strong pinning of the DW at the transition between the irradiated and the non-irradiated region, an intermediate Hall resistance state is induced, which is further verified by finite element simulations. Such a method to control electrically multi-level resistances using He+ ion irradiation shows great potential in realizing neuromorphic and memristor devices.

Involved external institutions

Beihang University, Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (BUAA) / 北京航空航天大学 CN China (CN) École Polytechnique - Université Paris-Saclay FR France (FR) Singulus Technologies AG DE Germany (DE) Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz (JGU) DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Zhao, X., Liu, Y., Zhu, D., Sall, M., Zhang, X., Ma, H.,... Ravelosona, D. (2020). Spin-orbit torque driven multi-level switching in He+irradiated W-CoFeB-MgO Hall bars with perpendicular anisotropy. Applied Physics Letters, 116(24). https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0010679

MLA:

Zhao, Xiaoxuan, et al. "Spin-orbit torque driven multi-level switching in He+irradiated W-CoFeB-MgO Hall bars with perpendicular anisotropy." Applied Physics Letters 116.24 (2020).

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