Magnetic memory and a method of operating magnetic memory

A magnetic memory comprising:

• a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) that includes a reference layer, a tunnel barrier layer and a free layer, the tunnel barrier layer positioned between the reference layer and free layer;
• a spin-orbit torque (SOT) layer disposed adjacent to the free layer;
• and
• a pair of pinning sites, each pinning site positioned at a longitudinal end of the free layer and having an opposite magnetization direction from each other,
• wherein the free layer includes tapered regions at the longitudinal ends meeting the pinning sites, wherein the tapered regions have at least one of a tapered width or a tapered thickness such that the pair of pinning sites are at least one of wider or thicker than a portion of the free layer.

A method for operating a magnetic memory that includes a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) having a reference layer, a tunnel barrier layer and a free layer, a spin-orbit torque (SOT) layer disposed adjacent to the free layer;

• and a pair of pinning sites positioned at longitudinal ends of the free layer, comprising
• writing the magnetic memory by passing a writing current through the SOT layer, which exerts SOT and switches a magnetization direction of the free layer via domain wall motion in a direction of current flow;
• and
• reading the magnetic memory by passing a reading current through one of the pinning sites and the reference layer, and determining a stored value based on a measure of the reading current at the reference layer or one of the pinning sites.