Spin–orbit torques (SOTs) provide an efficient way to electrically manipulate the magnetic order in spintronic devices. Compared with conventional ferromagnetic materials, ferrimagnetic materials have the advantages of antiferromagnetically coupled sublattices and induced ultrafast spin dynamics. In this paper, we study the current-induced magnetization switching in the ferrimagnetic Ta/GdFeCo/MgO system. Robust SOT-induced magnetization switching can be achieved at the magnetic compensation temperature point of around 70 K, where the magnetization is nearly zero and the coercivity can reach almost 3 T. The temperature dependence of the SOT efficiency is quantified by the second harmonic method, and the enhanced SOT efficiency near the magnetic compensation temperature is attributed to the negative exchange coupling between the two sublattices of CoFe and Gd. This work demonstrates the SOT switching of the nearly compensated ferrimagnet, with great potential for future magnetic interaction-free and ultrafast ferrimagnetic applications.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.