Magnetization switching of multi-state magnetic structures with current-induced torques.
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ABSTRACT: Spintronic devices often require the ability to locally change the magnetic configuration of ferromagnetic structures on a sub-micron scale. A promising route for achieving this goal is the use of heavy metal/ferromagnetic heterostructures where current flowing through the heavy metal layer generates field-like and anti-damping like torques on the magnetic layer. Commonly, such torques are used to switch magnets with a uniaxial anisotropy between two uniformly magnetized states. Here, we use such torques to switch magnetization in Ta/Ni0.80Fe0.20 heterostructures with uniaxial and biaxial anisotropy, where in the latter the magnetization is non-uniform. The anisotropies are induced by shape and the magnetic state is monitored using the planar Hall effect. As structures with several easy axes induced by shape can be part of a magnetic memory element, the results pave the way for multi-level magnetic memory with spin-orbit torque switching.
SUBMITTER: Das S
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6181950 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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