AIP Advances (May 2017)

Micromagnetic simulation of electric-field-assisted magnetization switching in perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction

  • Chikako Yoshida,
  • Hideyuki Noshiro,
  • Yuichi Yamazaki,
  • Toshihiro Sugii,
  • Tomohiro Tanaka,
  • Atsushi Furuya,
  • Yuji Uehara

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4978460
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 5
pp. 055935 – 055935-5

Abstract

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The feasibility of a voltage assisted unipolar switching in perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) has been studied using a micromagnetic simulation. Assuming a linear modulation of anisotropy field with voltage, both parallel (P) to anti-parallel (AP) and AP to P switchings were observed by application of unipolar voltage pulse without external magnetic field assistance. In latter case, the final P state can only be achieved with an ultrashort voltage pulse which vanishes before spin transfer torque (STT) becomes dominant to restore the initial AP state. In addition, it was found that the larger change in anisotropy field is required for the MTJ with smaller diameter.