Oxygen vacancy-driven spin-transfer torque across MgO magnetic tunnel junctions
Abstract Flowing an electrical current that is both of high areal density and large spin polarization across a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) can, through spin-transfer torque (STT), alter the relative magnetic orientation of the MTJ’s ferromagnetic electrodes. This effect has enabled key next-gener...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
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| Series: | npj Spintronics |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s44306-024-00067-8 |
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| author | L. M. Kandpal B. Taudul E. Monteblanco A. Kumar K. Katcko F. Schleicher P. Gupta S. Boukari W. Weber V. Da Costa J. D. Costa T. Bӧhnert R. Ferreira P. Freitas M. Hehn M. Alouani P. K. Muduli D. Lacour M. Bowen |
| author_facet | L. M. Kandpal B. Taudul E. Monteblanco A. Kumar K. Katcko F. Schleicher P. Gupta S. Boukari W. Weber V. Da Costa J. D. Costa T. Bӧhnert R. Ferreira P. Freitas M. Hehn M. Alouani P. K. Muduli D. Lacour M. Bowen |
| author_sort | L. M. Kandpal |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Flowing an electrical current that is both of high areal density and large spin polarization across a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) can, through spin-transfer torque (STT), alter the relative magnetic orientation of the MTJ’s ferromagnetic electrodes. This effect has enabled key next-generation MTJ applications and commercialized products, from memories to artificial synapses and energy harvesters. As MTJs are now downscaled to 2 nm, basic experimental data challenge the accepted understanding of their operation. From transport spectroscopy, ferromagnetic resonance experiments and ab-initio calculations it is revealed that the high conductivity of STT-ready MTJs, and the STT effect therein, is mediated by oxygen vacancy complexes within the MgO barrier. Our work positions the oxygen vacancy at the core of MgO spintronics. This should disrupt the status-quo on STT-MRAM R&D, by generating defect-specific research and new ideas to confer additional functionality to these next-generation electronic devices, as a nanoelectronics platform to industrialize quantum physics. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-f7f43aeb8b024945acd35e6561c2a712 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2948-2119 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj Spintronics |
| spelling | doaj-art-f7f43aeb8b024945acd35e6561c2a7122025-01-12T12:06:30ZengNature Portfolionpj Spintronics2948-21192025-01-01311710.1038/s44306-024-00067-8Oxygen vacancy-driven spin-transfer torque across MgO magnetic tunnel junctionsL. M. Kandpal0B. Taudul1E. Monteblanco2A. Kumar3K. Katcko4F. Schleicher5P. Gupta6S. Boukari7W. Weber8V. Da Costa9J. D. Costa10T. Bӧhnert11R. Ferreira12P. Freitas13M. Hehn14M. Alouani15P. K. Muduli16D. Lacour17M. Bowen18Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg (IPCMS), UMR 7504 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 23 Rue du Lœss, BP 43Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg (IPCMS), UMR 7504 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 23 Rue du Lœss, BP 43Institut Jean Lamour, UMR 7198 CNRS, Université de Lorraine, BP 70239Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology DelhiInstitut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg (IPCMS), UMR 7504 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 23 Rue du Lœss, BP 43Institut Jean Lamour, UMR 7198 CNRS, Université de Lorraine, BP 70239Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology DelhiInstitut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg (IPCMS), UMR 7504 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 23 Rue du Lœss, BP 43Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg (IPCMS), UMR 7504 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 23 Rue du Lœss, BP 43Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg (IPCMS), UMR 7504 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 23 Rue du Lœss, BP 43International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL), Av. Mestre José Veiga s/nInternational Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL), Av. Mestre José Veiga s/nInternational Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL), Av. Mestre José Veiga s/nInternational Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL), Av. Mestre José Veiga s/nInstitut Jean Lamour, UMR 7198 CNRS, Université de Lorraine, BP 70239Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg (IPCMS), UMR 7504 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 23 Rue du Lœss, BP 43Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology DelhiInstitut Jean Lamour, UMR 7198 CNRS, Université de Lorraine, BP 70239Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg (IPCMS), UMR 7504 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 23 Rue du Lœss, BP 43Abstract Flowing an electrical current that is both of high areal density and large spin polarization across a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) can, through spin-transfer torque (STT), alter the relative magnetic orientation of the MTJ’s ferromagnetic electrodes. This effect has enabled key next-generation MTJ applications and commercialized products, from memories to artificial synapses and energy harvesters. As MTJs are now downscaled to 2 nm, basic experimental data challenge the accepted understanding of their operation. From transport spectroscopy, ferromagnetic resonance experiments and ab-initio calculations it is revealed that the high conductivity of STT-ready MTJs, and the STT effect therein, is mediated by oxygen vacancy complexes within the MgO barrier. Our work positions the oxygen vacancy at the core of MgO spintronics. This should disrupt the status-quo on STT-MRAM R&D, by generating defect-specific research and new ideas to confer additional functionality to these next-generation electronic devices, as a nanoelectronics platform to industrialize quantum physics.https://doi.org/10.1038/s44306-024-00067-8 |
| spellingShingle | L. M. Kandpal B. Taudul E. Monteblanco A. Kumar K. Katcko F. Schleicher P. Gupta S. Boukari W. Weber V. Da Costa J. D. Costa T. Bӧhnert R. Ferreira P. Freitas M. Hehn M. Alouani P. K. Muduli D. Lacour M. Bowen Oxygen vacancy-driven spin-transfer torque across MgO magnetic tunnel junctions npj Spintronics |
| title | Oxygen vacancy-driven spin-transfer torque across MgO magnetic tunnel junctions |
| title_full | Oxygen vacancy-driven spin-transfer torque across MgO magnetic tunnel junctions |
| title_fullStr | Oxygen vacancy-driven spin-transfer torque across MgO magnetic tunnel junctions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Oxygen vacancy-driven spin-transfer torque across MgO magnetic tunnel junctions |
| title_short | Oxygen vacancy-driven spin-transfer torque across MgO magnetic tunnel junctions |
| title_sort | oxygen vacancy driven spin transfer torque across mgo magnetic tunnel junctions |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s44306-024-00067-8 |
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