Size dependence of the properties of synthetic-antiferromagnet-based stochastic magnetic tunnel junctions for probabilistic computing

TL;DR

This paper investigates how the size of synthetic-antiferromagnet-based stochastic magnetic tunnel junctions affects their properties, revealing size-dependent behaviors that are crucial for reliable probabilistic computing applications.

Contribution

It provides a systematic analysis of size effects on SAF s-MTJs, highlighting their impact on relaxation times, magnetic robustness, and voltage insensitivity for improved p-computer performance.

Findings

Smaller junctions have shorter relaxation times.

Decreased size enhances magnetic field robustness.

Reduced size increases insensitivity to bias voltage.

Abstract

Stochastic magnetic tunnel junctions (s-MTJs) are core components for spintronics-based probabilistic computing (p-computing), a promising candidate for energy-efficient unconventional computing. To achieve reliable performance under practical conditions, the use of a synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) free-layer configuration was proposed due to its enhanced tolerance to magnetic field perturbations. For engineering the SAF s-MTJs, we systematically investigate the properties of the SAF s-MTJs as a function of the junction size. We observe that decreasing junction size leads to shorter relaxation times, enhanced magnetic field robustness, and enhanced insensitivity to bias voltage. These findings provide key insights toward high-performance p-computers with reliable operation.