Hybrid straintronics and voltage-controlled-magnetic-anisotropy: Precessional switching of a perpendicular anisotropy magneto-tunneling junction without a magnetic field

TL;DR

This paper introduces an all-electric, field-free precessional switching method for perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions using voltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy and multiferroic layers, enabling energy-efficient memory cells.

Contribution

It presents a novel all-electric, field-free switching technique for p-MTJs utilizing VCMA and multiferroic layers, advancing magnetic memory technology.

Findings

Achieved high switching probability with voltage and stress control.

Designed a two-terminal, energy-efficient memory cell compatible with high-density arrays.

Demonstrated elimination of external magnetic fields in switching process.

Abstract

We propose an all-electric implementation of a precessionally switched perpendicular magnetic anisotropy magneto-tunneling-junction (p-MTJ) based toggle memory cell where data is written with voltage-controlled-magnetic-anisotropy (VCMA) without requiring an in-plane magnetic field. The soft layer of the MTJ is a two-phase (magnetostrictive/piezoelectric) multiferroic which is electrically stressed to produce an effective in-plane magnetic field around which the magnetization precesses to complete a flip when the VCMA voltage pulse duration and the stress duration are independently adjusted to obtain a high switching probability. A two-terminal energy-efficient cell, that is compatible with crossbar architecture and high cell density, is designed.