Single-shot dynamics of spin-orbit torque and spin transfer torque switching in three-terminal magnetic tunnel junctions

Abstract

Current-induced spin-transfer torques (STT) and spin-orbit torques (SOT) enable the electrical switching of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) in nonvolatile magnetic random access memories. In order to develop faster memory devices, an improvement of the timescales underlying the current driven magnetization dynamics is required. Here we report all-electrical time-resolved measurements of magnetization reversal driven by SOT in a three-terminal MTJ device. Single-shot measurements of the MTJ resistance during current injection reveal that SOT switching involves a stochastic two-step process consisting of a domain nucleation time and propagation time, which have different genesis, timescales, and statistical distributions compared to STT switching. We further show that the combination of SOT, STT, and voltage control of magnetic anisotropy (VCMA) leads to reproducible sub-ns switching with a spread of the cumulative switching time smaller than 0.2 ns. Our measurements unravel the combined impact of SOT, STT, and VCMA in determining the switching speed and efficiency of MTJ devices.

References in corpus (6)

• Spin Transfer Torques
• Voltage-Induced Ferromagnetic Resonance in Magnetic Tunnel Junctions
• Nanosecond-timescale low error switching of in-plane magnetic tunnel junctions through dynamic Oersted-field assisted spin-Hall effect
• Anomalous spin-orbit torque switching due to field-like torque-assisted domain wall reflection
• Size-dependence of nanosecond-scale spin-torque switching in perpendicularly magnetized tunnel junctions
• Time-Resolved Studies of the Spin-Transfer Reversal Mechanism in Perpendicularly Magnetized Magnetic Tunnel Junctions

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• Determination of the spin Hall angle, spin mixing conductance and spin diffusion length in Ir/CoFeB for spin-orbitronic devices
• Lack of simple correlation between switching current density and spin-orbit torque efficiency of perpendicularly magnetized spin-current generator/ferromagnet heterostructures
• Real-time Hall-effect detection of current-induced magnetization dynamics in ferrimagnets
• Effects of Oxidation of Top and Bottom Interfaces on the Electric, Magnetic, and Spin-Orbit Torque Properties of Pt/Co/AlOx Trilayers