Article abstract
Nature Materials 5, 210 - 215 (2006)
doi:10.1038/nmat1595
Subject Categories: Electronic materials | Magnetic materials
Current-induced magnetization reversal in nanopillars with perpendicular anisotropy
S. Mangin1,2, D. Ravelosona1,3, J. A. Katine1, M. J. Carey1, B. D. Terris1 and Eric E. Fullerton1
Abstract
Devices that show a magnetic anisotropy normal to the film surface hold great promise towards faster and smaller magnetic bits in data-storage applications. We describe an experimental demonstration of current-induced magnetic reversal of nanopillars with perpendicular anisotropy and high coercive fields. The best results are observed for Co/Ni multilayers, which have higher giant magnetoresistance values and spin-torque efficiencies than Co/Pt multilayers. The reference layers were designed to have significantly higher anisotropy allowing a complete current–field phase diagram of the free-layer reversal to be explored. The results are compared to micromagnetic modelling of the free layer that, depending on the bias current and applied field, details regions of irreversible magnetic switching, coherent and incoherent spin waves, or static non-uniform magnetization states. This ability to manipulate high-anisotropy magnetic elements could prove useful for a range of spintronic applications.
- Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, San Jose Research Center, 650 Harry Road, San Jose, California 95120, USA
- Laboratoire de Physique de Matériaux, UMR CNRS 7556, U.H.P.-Nancy I, B.P. 239 F-54506 Vandoeuvre cedex, France
- Institut d'Electronique Fondamentale, UMR CNRS 8622, Université Paris Sud, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France
Correspondence to: Eric E. Fullerton1 e-mail: eric.fullerton@hgst.com
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