Highly sensitive nanoscale spin-torque diode

Miwa, Shinji; Ishibashi, S.; Tomita, Hiroyuki; Nozaki, Takayuki; Tamura, E.; Ando, Koji; Mizuochi, Norikazu; Saruya, Takeshi; Kubota, Hiroshi; Yakushiji, Kay; Taniguchi, Tomohiro; Imamura, Hiroshi; Fukushima, Akio; Yuasa, Shinji; Suzuki, Y.

doi:10.1038/nmat3778

Cited by 185 publications

(161 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…In that case, the rectified voltage from the MTJ was generated by precession of the magnetization driven by the spin-transfer-torque. Subsequently, higher microwave detection sensitivity than that of semiconductor Schottky diodes has been demonstrated by optimizing the magnetic anisotropy and applying a DC bias as a result of the nonlinear FMR [19,20]. However, its high detection sensitivity has been limited to cases in which the current is lower than the destabilizing current of the free-layer magnetization.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Field angle dependence of voltage-induced ferromagnetic resonance under DC bias voltage

Shiota

Miwa

Tamaru

et al. 2016

Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Field angle dependence of voltage-induced ferromagnetic resonance under DC bias voltage

Shiota

Miwa

Tamaru

et al. 2016

Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials

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“…Furthermore, we analyze the evolution of the locking range as a function of the coupling strength through experiments and numerical simulations. By uncovering the mechanisms at stake in the locking range enhancement, our results will be useful for designing spin-torque nano-oscillators arrays with high sensitivities to external microwave stimuli.Spin-torque nano-oscillators (STNOs) are promising candidates for the next generation of multifunctional spintronic nano-devices [1] such as efficient integrated microwave generators [2] and detectors [3,4]. One of their characteristic features compared to other auto-oscillators is their high non-linearity [5].…”

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confidence: 99%

Enhancing the injection locking range of spin torque oscillators through mutual coupling

Romera

Talatchian

Lebrun

et al. 2016

Applied Physics Letters

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We investigate how the ability of the vortex oscillation mode of a spin-torque nanooscillator to lock to an external microwave signal is modified when it is coupled to another oscillator. We show experimentally that mutual electrical coupling can lead to locking range enhancements of a factor 1. 64. Furthermore, we analyze the evolution of the locking range as a function of the coupling strength through experiments and numerical simulations. By uncovering the mechanisms at stake in the locking range enhancement, our results will be useful for designing spin-torque nano-oscillators arrays with high sensitivities to external microwave stimuli.Spin-torque nano-oscillators (STNOs) are promising candidates for the next generation of multifunctional spintronic nano-devices [1] such as efficient integrated microwave generators [2] and detectors [3,4]. One of their characteristic features compared to other auto-oscillators is their high non-linearity [5]. On one hand, this high nonlinearity translates into one of their most attractive properties: their ability to easily adapt their frequencies to external stimuli. On the other hand, by increasing their sensitivity to noise, it has the undesirable effect of broadening the spectral linewidth. In the last few years, many efforts have been made to improve the spectral purity of spintorque oscillators, a crucial step towards most applications. From these studies, a promising approach consists in the synchronization of the oscillators to an external microwave source [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] (injection locking), or to other oscillators [21][22][23][24][25][26][27] (mutual synchronization). In both cases, a crucial parameter to optimize for applications is the locking range, which should be as large as possible. A first way to increase the locking range is to work in regimes where the oscillator's nonlinearity is the largest. However, as mentioned earlier, this comes at the detriment of spectral purity. In the case of injection locking, another possibility is to increase the power of the external signal, but this is limited by the breakdown voltage of the tunnel barrier of the device and results in an increase of power consumption. Therefore, finding alternative paths to enhance the locking range is an important step towards designing next generation's magnetic microwave devices.In this manuscript we combine experimental results with numerical simulations to show that the injection locking range of a spin-torque oscillator can be enhanced by coupling it to another spintorque oscillator. Furthermore, it is shown that the locking range can be tuned by changing the mutual coupling strength between oscillators. (7) is the free layer and numbers represent thickness in nanometers. Samples were grown by sputterdeposition and patterned down to the bottom electrode into circular nanopillars with a diameter of 200 nm. The nano-pillars exhibit a TMR of 64% and a resistance-area product of RA~1 Ω.μm 2 . With this combination of materials and geometry, th...

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“…The inverse effect, i.e., absorption of RF spin currents by a MTJ produces a detectable DC signal [6]. This phenomenon, called the spin-torque diode effect, can be used as an RF-detector of very high sensitivity [7]. Recently, it has been shown that similar behavior can be achieved with alternatingvoltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy (VCMA) [8,9].…”

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confidence: 99%

Spin-torque diode radio-frequency detector with voltage tuned resonance

Skowroński

Frankowski

Wrona

et al. 2014

Applied Physics Letters

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We report on a voltage tunable radio-frequency (RF) detector based on a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ). The spin-torque diode effect is used to excite and/or detect RF oscillations in the magnetic free layer of the MTJ. In order to reduce the overall in-plane magnetic anisotropy of the free layer, we take advantage of the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy at the interface between ferromagnetic and insulating layers. The applied bias voltage is shown to have a significant influence on the magnetic anisotropy, and thus on the resonance frequency of the device. This influence also depends on the voltage polarity. The obtained results are accounted for in terms of the interplay of spin-transfertorque and voltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy effects.Due to spin wave excitations, magnetic thin films can emit and/or absorb electromagnetic signals in a microwave frequency range determined by ferromagnetic resonance (FMR). In turn, radio-frequency (RF) signals can be produced in magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) via the spin-transfer-torque (STT) effect [1,2], where a spin polarized current excites magnetization precession with a frequency that depends, among others, on the magnetic anisotropy. This precession gives rise to an electric signal that can be used in various devices, like spin wave generators [3] or spin-torque oscillators [4,5]. The inverse effect, i.e., absorption of RF spin currents by a MTJ produces a detectable DC signal [6]. This phenomenon, called the spin-torque diode effect, can be used as an RF-detector of very high sensitivity [7]. Recently, it has been shown that similar behavior can be achieved with alternatingvoltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy (VCMA) [8,9]. In this paper we propose a voltage tunable spin-torque diode, that is capable of sensing RF signals of different frequencies. We achieved such a functionality by using a combination of the STT and VCMA effects. The former effect produces the DC voltage in response to AC current, while the latter one changes the resonance detection regime. In addition, using a specially designed MTJ, we are able to measure STT components in a volt- * Electronic address: skowron@agh.edu.pl age range of ±1 V, which to our knowledge is beyond the STT measurements published to date (up to ±0.5 V in Ref. [10]) and reveals a non-linear behavior of the in-plane STT component vs. bias voltage [11,12]. To achieve the above objective, we have investigated MTJs with the following multilayer structure: SiO 2 (substrate) / 5 Ta / 30 CuN / 3 Ta / 30 CuN / 3 Ta / 16 Pt 38 Mn 62 / 2.1 Co 70 Fe 30 / 0.9 Ru / 2.3 Co 40 Fe 40 B 20 / 1.6 MgO / 1-2 Co 40 Fe 40 B 20 / 10 Ta / 7 Ru (thickness in nm). By varying thickness of the CoFeB free layer (FL), we observed a transition from in-plane to perpendicular anisotropy at a critical thickness of t c ≈ 1.35 nm [13]. After deposition, the MTJs were annealed at 250 • C in an in-plane magnetic field of 0.4 T in order to set the exchange bias direction and to improve the crystallization of the ferromagnetic electrodes. For the transpor...

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Highly sensitive nanoscale spin-torque diode

Cited by 185 publications

References 41 publications

Field angle dependence of voltage-induced ferromagnetic resonance under DC bias voltage

Field angle dependence of voltage-induced ferromagnetic resonance under DC bias voltage

Enhancing the injection locking range of spin torque oscillators through mutual coupling

Spin-torque diode radio-frequency detector with voltage tuned resonance

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