Single-Shot All-Optical Switching in CoFeB/MgO Magnetic Tunnel Junctions
Authors
Junta Igarashi
Sébastien Geiskopf
Takanobu Shinoda
Butsurin Jinnai
Yann Le Guen
Julius Hohlfeld
Shunsuke Fukami
Hideo Ohno
Jon Gorchon
Stéphane Mangin
Michel Hehn
Grégory Malinowski
Abstract
We demonstrate single shot al optical switching (AOS) in rare earth free CoFeB/MgO magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs), a material system widely adopted in spin transfer torque magnetic random access memory (STT MRAM). By tuning the capping layer thickness, we show that precise heat control enables deterministic magnetization reversal from parallel (P) to antiparallel (AP) state. Furthermore, we detect magnetization reversal in a micro scale MTJ device via the tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) effect. Our findings suggest that ultrafast spin transport or dipolar interactions or a combination of both may play essential roles in the switching process. This work represents a significant step toward integrating AOS with MTJ technology.
