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Current-induced torques in magnetic materials

Nature Materials volume 11, pages 372–381 (2012)Cite this article

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Abstract

The magnetization of a magnetic material can be reversed by using electric currents that transport spin angular momentum. In the reciprocal process a changing magnetization orientation produces currents that transport spin angular momentum. Understanding how these processes occur reveals the intricate connection between magnetization and spin transport, and can transform technologies that generate, store or process information via the magnetization direction. Here we explain how currents can generate torques that affect the magnetic orientation and the reciprocal effect in a wide variety of magnetic materials and structures. We also discuss recent state-of-the-art demonstrations of current-induced torque devices that show great promise for enhancing the functionality of semiconductor devices.

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Figure 1: Illustration of current-induced torques.
Figure 2: Current-induced torque sample geometries.
Figure 3: Illustration of the LLGS dynamics (equation 1).
Figure 4: A head-to-head magnetic domain wall.
Figure 5: Spin pumping from a ferromagnet via an adjacent normal metal gives rise to a spin-transfer torque on a second ferromagnet.
Figure 6: Three different concepts for magnetic random access memories.
Figure 7: Schematic of racetrack memory.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge useful discussions with Ferran Macia at New York University, who prepared some figures for the manuscript. A.B. was supported by EU-ICT-7 contract no. 257159 MACALO – Magneto Caloritronics. A.D.K. was supported by the National Science Foundation, the US Army Research Office and Spin-Transfer Technologies. HO was supported by the FIRST program of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Sciences.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, NO-7191, Norway

    Arne Brataas

  2. Department of Physics, New York University, 4 Washington Place, New York, 10003, New York, USA

    Andrew D. Kent

  3. Center for Spintronics Integrated Systems, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, 980-8577, Sendai, Japan

    Hideo Ohno

  4. Laboratory for Nanoelectronics and Spintronics, Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, 980-8577, Sendai, Japan

    Hideo Ohno

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Correspondence to Arne Brataas.

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Brataas, A., Kent, A. & Ohno, H. Current-induced torques in magnetic materials. Nature Mater 11, 372–381 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat3311

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