Room-temperature orbit-transfer torque enabling van der Waals magnetoresistive memories

Abstract

The nonvolatile magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) is believed to facilitate emerging applications, such as in memory computing, neuromorphic computing and stochastic computing. Two dimensional (2D) materials and their van der Waals heterostructures promote the development of MRAM technology, due to their atomically smooth interfaces and tunable physical properties. Here we report the all-2D magnetoresistive memories featuring all electrical data reading and writing at room temperature based on WTe2/Fe3GaTe2/BN/Fe3GaTe2 heterostructures. The data reading process relies on the tunnel magnetoresistance of Fe3GaTe2/BN/Fe3GaTe2. The data writing is achieved through current induced polarization of orbital magnetic moments in WTe2, which exert torques on Fe3GaTe2, known as the orbit transfer torque (OTT) effect. In contrast to the conventional reliance on spin moments in spin transfer torque and spin orbit torque, the OTT effect leverages the natural out of plane orbital moments, facilitating field-free perpendicular magnetization switching through interface currents. Our results indicate that the emerging OTT MRAM is promising for low power, high performance memory applications.

References in corpus (6)

• Spin Transfer Torques
• Engineering symmetry breaking in two-dimensional layered materials
• Orbit-transfer torque driven field-free switching of perpendicular magnetization
• Orbital polarization and third-order anomalous Hall effect in WTe2
• Current-driven magnetization switching in a van der Waals ferromagnet Fe3GeTe2
• Spin-orbit torque magnetization switching in MoTe2/permalloy heterostructures

Cited by in corpus (6)

• All van der Waals three-terminal SOT-MRAM realized by topological ferromagnet Fe3GeTe2
• Room-temperature van der Waals magnetoresistive memories with data writing by orbital current in the Weyl semimetal TaIrTe4
• Nonlinear spin and orbital Edelstein effect in WTe2
• Bias voltage controlled inversions of tunneling magnetoresistance in van der Waals heterostructures Fe3GaTe2/hBN/Fe3GaTe2
• Memristive switching in the surface of a charge-density-wave topological semimetal
• Facilitating field-free perpendicular magnetization switching with a Berry curvature dipole in a Weyl semimetal