Current-induced spin-orbit torques (SOTs) are of interest for fast and energy-efficient manipulation of magnetic order in spintronic devices. To be deterministic, however, switching of perpendicularly magnetized materials by SOT requires a mechanism for in-plane symmetry breaking. Existing methods to do so involve the application of an in-plane bias magnetic field, or incorporation of in-plane structural asymmetry in the device, both of which can be difficult to implement in practical applications. Here, we report bias-field-free SOT switching in a single perpendicular CoTb layer with an engineered vertical composition gradient. The vertical structural inversion asymmetry induces strong intrinsic SOTs and a gradient-driven Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction (g-DMI), which breaks the in-plane symmetry during the switching process. Micromagnetic simulations are in agreement with experimental results, and elucidate the role of g-DMI in the deterministic switching processes. This bias-field-free switching scheme for perpendicular ferrimagnets with g-DMI provides a strategy for efficient and compact SOT device design.
Quantum Griffiths singularity was theoretically proposed to interpret the phenomenon of divergent dynamical exponent in quantum phase transitions. It has been discovered experimentally in three-dimensional (3D) magnetic metal systems and two-dimensional (2D) superconductors. But, whether this state exists in lower dimensional systems remains elusive. Here, we report the signature of quantum Griffiths singularity state in quasi-one-dimensional (1D) Ta2PdS5 nanowires. The superconducting critical field shows a strong anisotropic behavior and a violation of the Pauli limit in a parallel magnetic field configuration. Current-voltage measurements exhibit hysteresis loops and a series of multiple voltage steps in transition to the normal state, indicating a quasi-1D nature of the superconductivity. Surprisingly, the nanowire undergoes a superconductor-metal transition when the magnetic field increases. Upon approaching the zero-temperature quantum critical point, the system uncovers the signature of the quantum Griffiths singularity state arising from enhanced quenched disorders, where the dynamical critical exponent becomes diverging rather than being constant.
There is accelerating interest in developing memory devices using antiferromagnetic (AFM) materials, motivated by the possibility for electrically controlling AFM order via spin-orbit torques, and its read-out via magnetoresistive effects. Recent studies have shown, however, that high current densities create non-magnetic contributions to resistive switching signals in AFM/heavy metal (AFM/HM) bilayers, complicating their interpretation. Here we introduce an experimental protocol to unambiguously distinguish current-induced magnetic and nonmagnetic switching signals in AFM/HM structures, and demonstrate it in IrMn3/Pt devices. A six-terminal double-cross device is constructed, with an IrMn3 pillar placed on one cross. The differential voltage is measured between the two crosses with and without IrMn3 after each switching attempt. For a wide range of current densities, reversible switching is observed only when write currents pass through the cross with the IrMn3 pillar, eliminating any possibility of non-magnetic switching artifacts. Micromagnetic simulations support our findings, indicating a complex domain-mediated switching process.
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