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Electric-field-induced ferromagnetic resonance excitation in an ultrathin ferromagnetic metal layer

Nature Physics volume 8, pages 491–496 (2012)Cite this article

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Abstract

Using resonant phenomena to exert coherent control over electron spin dynamics could enable more-energy-efficient spintronic devices and related technologies. Yet, achieving collective spin resonant control by ferromagnetic resonance excitation most often requires radiofrequency magnetic fields or the injection of spin-polarized currents that consume relatively large amounts of power. Inducing ferromagnetic resonances directly with an electric field offers a lower-power alternative to these, but doing so requires strong electric and magnetic coupling that is difficult to realize owing to screening effects, particularly in metallic materials. Here, we demonstrate electric-field-induced ferromagnetic resonance excitation by means of voltage control over the magnetic anisotropy in a few monolayers of FeCo at room temperature. The technique provides a low-power, highly localized and coherent means to manipulate electron spin dynamics.

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Figure 1: Basic concept of electric-field-induced FMR in a magnetic tunnel junction with an ultrathin ferromagnetic layer.
Figure 2: Observation of the electric-field-induced FMR.
Figure 3: Elevation-angle dependence of the signal intensity.
Figure 4: Input-radiofrequency-voltage dependence of the homodyne detection signal intensity.

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Acknowledgements

This research was partially supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas ‘Materials Design through Computics: Complex Correlation and Non-Equilibrium Dynamics’. We would like to acknowledge fruitful discussions with B. Hillebrands, A. V. Chumak, M. Shiraishi, E. Tamura, T. Oda, M. Tsujikawa, K. Nakamura and M. Shirai.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Osaka 560-8531, Japan

    Takayuki Nozaki, Yoichi Shiota, Shinji Miwa, Shinichi Murakami, Frédéric Bonell, Shota Ishibashi, Teruya Shinjo & Yoshishige Suzuki

  2. National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Spintronics Research Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568, Japan

    Takayuki Nozaki, Hitoshi Kubota, Kay Yakushiji, Takeshi Saruya, Akio Fukushima & Shinji Yuasa

  3. PRESTO, JST, 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan

    Takayuki Nozaki

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  1. Takayuki Nozaki
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Contributions

T.N. and Y. Suzuki designed the experiments. T.N. performed the sample fabrication, measurements and data analysis. Y. Shiota, S. Murakami and F.B. optimized the sample fabrication process of the single-crystal magnetic tunnel junctions with an ultrathin ferromagnetic layer. Y. Suzuki developed the theoretical model for the analysis. For the comparative discussion of spin-torque-induced FMR in the Supplementary Information, S.I., H.K., K.Y., T. Saruya, A.F. and S. Yuasa optimized the sputtering deposition, micro-fabrication processes and prepared the sample and S. Miwa carried out the measurement. T.N. wrote the manuscript with review and input from Y. Suzuki and T. Shinjo. All authors contributed to the planning, discussion and analysis of this research.

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Correspondence to Takayuki Nozaki.

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Nozaki, T., Shiota, Y., Miwa, S. et al. Electric-field-induced ferromagnetic resonance excitation in an ultrathin ferromagnetic metal layer. Nature Phys 8, 491–496 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys2298

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