Respective influence of in-plane and out-of-plane spin-transfer torques in magnetization switching of perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions

Abstract

The relative contributions of in-plane (damping-like) and out-of-plane (field-like) spin-transfer-torques in the magnetization switching of out-of-plane magnetized magnetic tunnel junctions (pMTJ) has been theoretically analyzed using the transformed Landau-Lifshitz (LL) equation with the STT terms. It is demonstrated that in a pMTJ structure obeying macrospin dynamics, the out-of-plane torque influences the precession frequency but it does not contribute significantly to the STT switching process (in particular to the switching time and switching current density), which is mostly determined by the in-plane STT contribution. This conclusion is confirmed by finite temperature and finite writing pulse macrospin simulations of the current-field switching diagrams. It contrasts with the case of STT-switching in in-plane magnetized MTJ in which the field-like term also influences the switching critical current. This theoretical analysis was successfully applied to the interpretation of voltage-field STT switching diagrams experimentally measured on perpendicular MTJ pillars 36 nm in diameter, which exhibit macrospin-like behavior. The physical nonequivalence of Landau and Gilbert dissipation terms in presence of STT-induced dynamics is also discussed.

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• Impact of intergrain spin transfer torques due to huge thermal gradients on the performance of heat assisted magnetic recording
• Current-driven magnetization dynamics and their correlation with magnetization configurations in perpendicularly magnetized tunnel junctions
• Simulation of current-driven magnetisation switching in nanopillars with Perpendicular Shape Anisotropy
• Switching based Spin Transfer Torque Oscillator with zero-bias field and large tuning-ratio
• Spin-Orbit Torque and Magnetization Switching in 2D Ferromagnetic Devices
• Ultrafast and low-energy switching in voltage-controlled elliptical pMTJ
• Second order anisotropy contribution in perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions