Pseudo spin-valve switch based on ferromagnet/superconductor/ferromagnet trilayer microbridge

TL;DR

This study demonstrates a ferromagnet/superconductor/ferromagnet microbridge that exhibits a magnetoresistive effect, enabling magnetic switching of critical current with potential applications in low-error digital devices.

Contribution

It introduces a novel FSF trilayer microbridge that maintains magnetoresistive switching at micro-scale dimensions, advancing magnetic control in superconducting devices.

Findings

Magnetoresistive effect observed in PdFe-based FSF microbridges.

Switching between P and AP magnetization states controls critical current.

Effective magnetic switching demonstrated with low bit error rate.

Abstract

A noticeable magnetoresistive effect has been observed on ferromagnet/superconductor/ferromagnet (FSF) microbridges based on diluted ferromagnetic PdFe alloy containing as small as 1% magnetic atoms. Microstructuring of the FSF trilayers does not destroy the effect: the most pronounced curves were obtained on the smallest bridges of 6-8 um wide and 10-15 um long. Below the superconducting transition we are able to control the critical current of microbridges by switching between P and AP orientations of magnetizations of PdFe layers. The operation of FSF-bridge as a magnetic switch is demonstrated in several regimes providing significant voltage discrimination between digital states or remarkably low bit error rate.