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Suppression of the field-like torque for efficient magnetization switching in a spin–orbit ferromagnet

Nature Electronics volume 3, pages 751–756 (2020)Cite this article

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Abstract

Spin–orbit torque magnetization switching is an efficient method to control magnetization. In perpendicularly magnetized films, two types of spin–orbit torque are induced by driving a current: a damping-like torque and a field-like torque. The damping-like torque assists magnetization switching, but a large field-like torque pushes the magnetization towards the in-plane direction, resulting in a larger critical switching current density and making deterministic switching challenging. Control of the field-like torque strength is difficult because it is intrinsic to the material system used. Here, we show that the field-like term can be suppressed in a spin–orbit ferromagnetic single layer of (Ga,Mn)As by a current-induced Oersted field due to its non-uniform current distribution, making the damping-like torque term (the result of strong Dresselhaus spin–orbit coupling) dominant. The Oersted field can be controlled by the film thickness, resulting in an extremely low switching current density of 4.6 × 104 A cm–2. This strategy can thus provide an efficient approach to spin–orbit torque magnetization switching.

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Fig. 1: Schematic of the sample structure and illustration of torques.
Fig. 2: SOT switching for t ≤ 10 nm when J ∥ \([\bar 110]\) and schematic of the fields and torques.
Fig. 3: SOT switching for t ≥ 13 nm (40 K) when J ∥ \([\bar 110]\).
Fig. 4: SOT switching for t ≥ 13 nm (40 K) when J ∥ \([110]\) and schematic of the fields and torques.
Fig. 5: LLG simulation results and comparison with the experimental results.

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Data availability

The data that support the plots within this paper and other findings of this study are available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.12961430.v1. Source data are provided with this paper.

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Acknowledgements

This work was partly supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (no. 16H02095 and no. 18H03860), the CREST program of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JPMJCR1777), the Spintronics Research Network of Japan (Spin-RNJ) and the China Scholarship Council (no. 201706210086).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Systems, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

    Miao Jiang, Hirokatsu Asahara, Shoichi Sato, Shinobu Ohya & Masaaki Tanaka

  2. Center for Spintronics Research Network (CSRN), Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

    Shoichi Sato, Shinobu Ohya & Masaaki Tanaka

  3. Institute of Engineering Innovation, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

    Shinobu Ohya

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Contributions

Sample preparation: M.J. and H.A.; measurements: M.J.; data analysis: M.J. and S.S.; writing and project planning: M.J., S.O. and M.T.

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Correspondence to Miao Jiang, Shinobu Ohya or Masaaki Tanaka.

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Jiang, M., Asahara, H., Sato, S. et al. Suppression of the field-like torque for efficient magnetization switching in a spin–orbit ferromagnet. Nat Electron 3, 751–756 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41928-020-00500-w

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