Magnetic tunnel barriers and related heterostructure devices and methods
AssigneeUniversity of Washington
InventorsXiaodong Xu, Tiancheng Song, Xinghan Cai
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Abstract
Disclosed herein are devices, systems, and methods that provide improved tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) through the use of innovative device structures and heterostructure layers therein. Particularly, two or more magnetic layers form a heterostructure core of the switching device, with control of current passing through the heterostructure determined by an applied magnetic field that modifies the magnetization of the heterostructure from a ground magnetic state that is layered antiferromagnetic.
Claims21
A system for controlling electric current across a magnetic tunnel junction, the system comprising:
- a magnetic tunnel barrier comprising a layered magnet structure having a first magnetic layer with a first magnetic vector and a second magnetic layer with a second magnetic vector that is opposite to the first magnetic vector;
- a first electrode that is not magnetic and is electrically connected to the first magnetic layer;
- and
- a second electrode that is not magnetic and is electrically connected to the second magnetic layer;
- wherein the magnetic tunnel barrier permits significantly larger tunneling current to tunnel from the first electrode to the second electrode only when the first magnetic vector and the second magnetic vector are aligned.
A method of controlling an electric current across a magnetic tunnel barrier in a system according to any of the preceding claims, the layered heterostructure of the magnetic tunnel barrier having a characteristic magnetic structure, the method comprising:
- applying a voltage to the layered heterostructure of the magnetic tunnel barrier, between the first electrode and the second electrode;
- applying a magnetic field to the layered heterostructure;
- and
- modulating the magnetic field to control an electric current flowing from the first electrode to the second electrode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.