title: A spin-orbit torque switching scheme with collinear magnetic easy axis and current configuration.
abstract: Spin-orbit torque, a torque brought about by in-plane current via the spin-orbit interactions in heavy-metal/ferromagnet nanostructures, provides a new pathway to switch the magnetization direction. Although there are many recent studies, they all build on one of two structures that have the easy axis of a nanomagnet lying orthogonal to the current, that is, along the z or y axes. Here, we present a new structure with the third geometry, that is, with the easy axis collinear with the current (along the x axis). We fabricate a three-terminal device with a Ta/CoFeB/MgO-based stack and demonstrate the switching operation driven by the spin-orbit torque due to Ta with a negative spin Hall angle. Comparisons with different geometries highlight the previously unknown mechanisms of spin-orbit torque switching. Our work offers a new avenue for exploring the physics of spin-orbit torque switching and its application to spintronics devices.
authors.affiliation: Center for Spintronics Integrated Systems, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba, Sendai 980-8577, Japan.|Center for Innovative Integrated Electronic Systems, Tohoku University, 468-1 Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba, Sendai 980-0845, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fukami
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Nanoelectronics and Spintronics, Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba, Sendai 980-8577, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Anekawa
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Nanoelectronics and Spintronics, Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba, Sendai 980-8577, Japan.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Center for Spintronics Integrated Systems, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba, Sendai 980-8577, Japan.|Center for Innovative Integrated Electronic Systems, Tohoku University, 468-1 Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba, Sendai 980-0845, Japan.|Laboratory for Nanoelectronics and Spintronics, Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba, Sendai 980-8577, Japan.|WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba, Sendai 980 8577, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohno