C. Fowley

Direct measurement of the magnetic anisotropy field in Mn-Ga and Mn-Co-Ga Heusler films

The static and dynamic magnetic properties of tetragonally distorted Mn–Ga based alloys were investigated. Static properties are determined in magnetic fields up to 6.5 T using SQUID magnetometry. For the pure Mn1.6Ga film, the saturation magnetisation is 0.36 MA m−1 and the coercivity is 0.29 T. Partial substitution of Mn by Co results in Mn2.6Co0.3Ga1.1. The saturation magnetisation of those films drops to 0.2 MA m−1 and the coercivity is increased to 1 T.The time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect (TR-MOKE) is used to probe the high-frequency dynamics of Mn–Ga. The ferromagnetic resonance frequency extrapolated to zero-field is found to be 125 GHz with a Gilbert damping, α, of 0.019. The anisotropy field is determined from both SQUID and TR-MOKE to be 4.5 T, corresponding to an effective anisotropy density of 0.81 MJ m−3.Given the large anisotropy field of the Mn2.6Co0.3Ga1.1 film, pulsed magnetic fields up to 60 T are used to determine the field strength required to saturate the film in the plane. For this, the extraordinary Hall effect was employed as a probe of the local magnetisation. By integrating the reconstructed in-plane magnetisation curve, the effective anisotropy energy density for Mn2.6Co0.3Ga1.1 is determined to be 1.23 MJ m−3.

Zero-field spin-transfer oscillators combining in-plane and out-of-plane magnetized layers

Excited magnetization dynamics in a spin-valve device consisting of an in-plane polarizer and an out-of-plane free layer were studied numerically. In the case where the free layer is assumed to lack any in-plane anisotropy components, a finite external field is required to generate steady-state dynamics, in agreement with previous reports. We demonstrate that this constraint can be removed and precession can be stabilized in zero applied field by introducing an additional in-plane anisotropy axis. Moreover, the in-plane anisotropy offers an additional degree of freedom for tuning the frequency response of the device.

Tunnelling magnetoresistance of the half-metallic compensated ferrimagnet Mn2RuxGa

Tunnel magnetoresistance ratios of up to 40% are measured between 10 K and 300 K when the highly spin-polarized compensated ferrimagnet, Mn2RuxGa, is integrated into MgO-based perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions. Temperature and bias dependences of the tunnel magnetoresistance effect, with a sign change near −0.2 V, reflect the structure of the Mn2RuxGa interface density of states. Despite magnetic moment vanishing at a compensation temperature of 200 K for x≈0.8, the tunnel magnetoresistance ratio remains non-zero throughout the compensation region, demonstrating that the spin-transport is governed by one of the Mn sub-lattices only. Broad temperature range magnetic field immunity of at least 0.5 T is demonstrated in the same sample. The high spin polarization and perpendicular magnetic anisotropy make Mn2RuxGa suitable for applications in both non-volatile magnetic random access memory cells and terahertz spin-transfer oscillators.

Spin Torque Switching in Nanopillars With Antiferromagnetic Reference Layer

Spin-transfer-torque-induced switching is investigated in 200 nm diameter circularly shaped, perpendicularly 10 magnetized nanopillars. A synthetic antiferromagnet, consisting of two Co/Ni multilayers coupled antiferromagnetically 11 across a Ru layer, is used as a reference layer to minimize the dipolar field on the free layer. The free layer is a single 12 4 × [Co/Ni] multilayer. The use of Pt and Pd was avoided to lower the spin-orbit scattering in magnetic layers and intrinsic 13 damping in the free layer, and therefore, reduce the critical current required for spin-transfer-torque switching. The intrinsic 14 Gilbert damping constant of a continuous 4 × [Co/Ni] multilayer film was measured by ferromagnetic resonance to be 15 α = 0.022, which is significantly lower than in Ptor Pd-based magnetic multilayers. In zero magnetic field, the critical 16 current required to switch the free layer from parallel to antiparallel alignment is 5.2 mA, and from antiparallel to parallel 17 alignment is 4.9 mA. Given the volume of the free layer, VFL = 1.01 × 10-22 m3, the switching efficiency, Ic/(VFL × μ0Hc), 18 is 5.28 × 1020 A/T·m3, twice as efficient as any previously reported device with a similar structure.

Evolution of the interfacial magnetic anisotropy in MgO/CoFeB/Ta/Ru based multilayers as a function of annealing temperature

We report the effect of annealing temperature on the dynamic and static magnetic properties of MgO/CoFeB/Ta/Ru multilayers. Angular resolved ferromagnetic resonance measurement results show that the as-deposited film exhibits in-plane magnetic anisotropy, whereas in the annealed films the magnetic easy-axis is almost along the direction perpendicular to the plane of the layers. The extracted interfacial anisotropy energy, Ki, is maximized at an annealing temperature 225∘C, in agreement with the vibrating sample magnetometry results. Although the magnetization is not fully out-of-plane, controlling the degree of the magnetization obliqueness may be advantageous for specific applications such as spin-transfer oscillators.

Spin-transfer effects in MgO-based tunnel junctions with an out-of-plane free layer and an in-plane polarizer: Static states and steady-state precession

This paper aims to explore potential mechanisms for sustaining steady-state precession in MgO-based magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJ) with an in-plane polarizer and an out-of-plane free layer. The Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert-Slonczewski equation is analytically and numerically solved for a nano-pillar MTJ with circular cross-section under constant perpendicular applied current and field. It is demonstrated that the spin torque angular asymmetry is sufficient to sustain the spin transfer torque-driven dynamics of spin-torque nano-oscillators.

Zero-field spin transfer oscillators combining in-plane and out-of-plane magnetized free layers

Spin-transfer-torque driven magnetization dynamics in a spin-valve device consisting of an in-plane magnetized polarizer and an out-of-plane magnetized free layer were studied numerically. Such devices hold promise for nanoscale wireless transmitters operating at gigahertz frequencies, compatible with current mobile telephone and wireless local area network technologies [1]. In traditional spin-transfer-torque devices, with applications as memory elements (spin-transfer-torque MRAM), the magnetic easy axes of both the free and reference layers are co-linear (either in-plane magnetized or perpendicularly magnetized) in order to give the maximum difference in magnetoresistance between the two available storage states i .e . fully parallel or fully anti-parallel alignment. For spin-transfer-oscillators the situation is somewhat different. The criterion for having two stable static states with well separated resistance values is no longer an important factor. What is desired is a precessional orbit that passes through both the fully parallel and fully anti-parallel state as well as the maximisation of the torque in the initial state. For this, the most efficient geometry is one in which the free layer is magnetized out-of-plane and the polarizing layer is magnetized in-plane. For the ground state, the spin-transfer-torque efficiency is close to maximum as the angle between the two layers is 90°. The amplitude of oscillation is maximised as precession around the film normal allows passage through the parallel and anti-parallel states in one precession cycle [2,3].

Ferromagnetic resonance study of the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in MgO/CoFeB/ Ta multilayers as a function of annealing temperature

MgO-based magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) are currently the structures of choice for magnetic random access memories (MRAMs), as they exhibit extremely high tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) values due to highly effective spin-dependent tunneling [1, 2]. Initial studies focused on devices with both free and reference layers exhibiting in-plane remnant states [3, 4]. On the other hand, it has been reported that devices having the magnetic layers magnetized perpendicular to the layer interface offer a better trade-off between reducing the writing power and maintaining a thermal stability sufficient for data retention [5, 6]. It has also been recently demonstrated that CoFeB-based MgO-MTJs can exhibit perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA), while maintaining the crystalline quality of the barrier required for achieving high TMR ratios, thus making them good candidates for next generation spin-transfer-torque (STT) MRAM [7].