Current-induced magnetization switching of synthetic antiferromagnetic free layer in magnetic tunnel junctions

Seo Won Lee; Kyung Jin Lee

doi:10.1063/1.3562214

Current-induced magnetization switching of synthetic antiferromagnetic free layer in magnetic tunnel junctions

Seo Won Lee, Kyung Jin Lee

Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

8 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Spin transport in a magnetic tunnel junction with a synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) free layer is investigated using the drift-diffusion model. Although the diffusive transport is inappropriate for the MgO tunnel barrier, the drift-diffusion model is found to capture the core features of in-plane spin-transfer torque (STT) through the tunnel barrier, and more importantly, it can describe non-negligible STT exerting on two ferromagnets in a SAF-free layer. STT in a SAF-free layer substantially changes the magnetization dynamics and induces a shift of the critical switching current. STT in a SAF-free layer suppresses current-induced parallel-to-antiparallel switching, whereas it encourages antiparallel-to-parallel switching.

Original language	English
Article number	07C904
Journal	Journal of Applied Physics
Volume	109
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3562214
Publication status	Published - 2011 Apr 1

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was supported from the KOSEF through the NRL program funded by the Korean Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (Project No. M10600000198-06J0000-19810) and the DRC Program funded by the KRCF.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Physics and Astronomy(all)

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abstract = "Spin transport in a magnetic tunnel junction with a synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) free layer is investigated using the drift-diffusion model. Although the diffusive transport is inappropriate for the MgO tunnel barrier, the drift-diffusion model is found to capture the core features of in-plane spin-transfer torque (STT) through the tunnel barrier, and more importantly, it can describe non-negligible STT exerting on two ferromagnets in a SAF-free layer. STT in a SAF-free layer substantially changes the magnetization dynamics and induces a shift of the critical switching current. STT in a SAF-free layer suppresses current-induced parallel-to-antiparallel switching, whereas it encourages antiparallel-to-parallel switching.",

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N2 - Spin transport in a magnetic tunnel junction with a synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) free layer is investigated using the drift-diffusion model. Although the diffusive transport is inappropriate for the MgO tunnel barrier, the drift-diffusion model is found to capture the core features of in-plane spin-transfer torque (STT) through the tunnel barrier, and more importantly, it can describe non-negligible STT exerting on two ferromagnets in a SAF-free layer. STT in a SAF-free layer substantially changes the magnetization dynamics and induces a shift of the critical switching current. STT in a SAF-free layer suppresses current-induced parallel-to-antiparallel switching, whereas it encourages antiparallel-to-parallel switching.

AB - Spin transport in a magnetic tunnel junction with a synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) free layer is investigated using the drift-diffusion model. Although the diffusive transport is inappropriate for the MgO tunnel barrier, the drift-diffusion model is found to capture the core features of in-plane spin-transfer torque (STT) through the tunnel barrier, and more importantly, it can describe non-negligible STT exerting on two ferromagnets in a SAF-free layer. STT in a SAF-free layer substantially changes the magnetization dynamics and induces a shift of the critical switching current. STT in a SAF-free layer suppresses current-induced parallel-to-antiparallel switching, whereas it encourages antiparallel-to-parallel switching.

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Current-induced magnetization switching of synthetic antiferromagnetic free layer in magnetic tunnel junctions

Abstract

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