Current-driven magnetization switching in a van der Waals ferromagnet Fe3GeTe2

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates current-driven magnetization switching in a 2D van der Waals ferromagnet Fe3GeTe2 using spin-orbit torques from an adjacent Pt layer, advancing potential spintronic device applications.

Contribution

It introduces a bilayer Fe3GeTe2/Pt structure enabling effective electrical switching of magnetization in a 2D ferromagnet, a novel approach for spintronic devices.

Findings

Magnetization of Fe3GeTe2 can be switched by SOTs from Pt.

Quantitative characterization of SOTs via harmonic measurements.

Potential for low-dimensional spintronic applications.

Abstract

The recent discovery of ferromagnetism in two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) materials holds promises for novel spintronic devices with exceptional performances. However, in order to utilize 2D vdW magnets for building spintronic nanodevices such as magnetic memories, key challenges remain in terms of effectively switching the magnetization from one state to the other electrically. Here, we devise a bilayer structure of Fe3GeTe2/Pt, in which the magnetization of few-layered Fe3GeTe2 can be effectively switched by the spin-orbit torques (SOTs) originated from the current flowing in the Pt layer. The effective magnetic fields corresponding to the SOTs are further quantitatively characterized using harmonic measurements. Our demonstration of the SOT-driven magnetization switching in a 2D vdW magnet could pave the way for implementing low-dimensional materials in the next-generation spintronic applications.