Current-induced switching in single ferromagnetic layer nanopillar junctions

TL;DR

This study investigates current-induced magnetization switching in single ferromagnetic layer nanopillars, revealing bistable resistance states and hysteretic transitions driven by current, with potential implications for magnetic memory devices.

Contribution

It provides the first experimental phase diagram of current-induced magnetization dynamics in single ferromagnetic layer nanopillars at low magnetic fields.

Findings

Bistable resistance states observed in sub-100 nm junctions.

Current-induced resistance change exceeds AMR effect by five times.

Hysteretic and abrupt transitions between resistance states.

Abstract

Current induced magnetization dynamics in asymmetric Cu/Co/Cu single magnetic layer nanopillars has been studied experimentally at room temperature and in low magnetic fields applied perpendicular to the thin film plane. In sub-100 nm junctions produced using a nanostencil process a bistable state with two distinct resistance values is observed. Current sweeps at fixed applied fields reveal hysteretic and abrupt transitions between these two resistance states. The current induced resistance change is 0.5%, a factor of 5 greater than the anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) effect. We present an experimentally obtained low field phase diagram of current induced magnetization dynamics in single ferromagnetic layer pillar junctions.