A low power magnetization switching scheme based on the voltage control of magnetic anisotropy (VCMA) is proposed. In contrast to the conventional switching scheme using VCMA, where the magnetic anisotropy is eliminated during the voltage pulse, the magnetic anisotropy is enhanced to induce precession around the axis close to the easy axis. After turning off the voltage proximately at a half of precession period, the magnetization relaxes to the opposite equilibrium direction. We perform numerical simulations and show that the pulse duration of the proposed switching scheme is as short as a few tens of pico seconds. Such a short pulse duration is beneficial for low power consumption because of the reduction of energy loss by Joule heating.
A new way of magnetization switching employing both the spin-transfer torque and the torque by a magnetic field is proposed. The solution of the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation shows that the dynamics of the magnetization in the initial stage of the switching is similar to that in the precessional switching, while that in the final stage is rather similar to the relaxing switching. We call the present method the relaxing-precessional switching. It offers a faster and lower-power-consuming way of switching than the relaxing switching and a more controllable way than the precessional switching.
We investigate current-induced magnetization switching for a multilayer structure that allows a reduced switching current while maintaining high thermal stability of the magnetization. The structure consists of a perpendicular polarizer, a perpendicular free-layer, and an additional free-layer having in-plane magnetization. When the current runs perpendicular to the structure, the in-plane free-layer undergoes a precession and supplies an internal rf field to the perpendicular free-layer, resulting in a reduced switching current for one current polarity. For the other polarity, the in-plane fr…
Reversible straintronic switching of a nanomagnet's magnetization between two stable or metastable states promises ultra-energy-efficient non-volatile memory. Here, we report strain-induced magnetization switching in ~300 nm sized FeGa nanomagnets delineated on a piezoelectric PMN-PT substrate. Voltage of one polarity applied across the substrate generates compressive strain in a nanomagnet and switches its magnetization to one state, while voltage of the opposite polarity generates tensile strain and switches the magnetization back to the original state, resulting in "non-toggle" switching. T…
In ferromagnetic trilayers, a spin-orbit-induced spin current can have a spin polarization of which direction is deviated from that for the spin Hall effect. Recently, magnetization switching in ferromagnetic trilayers has been proposed and confirmed by the experiments. In this work, we theoretically and numerically investigate the switching current required for perpendicular magnetization switching in ferromagnetic trilayers. We confirm that the tilted spin polarization enables field-free deterministic switching at a lower current than conventional spin-orbit torque or spin-transfer torque sw…
We study the effect of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) on current-induced magnetic switching of a perpendicularly magnetized heavy-metal/ferromagnet/oxide trilayer both experimentally and through micromagnetic simulations. We report the generation of stable helical magnetization stripes for a sufficiently large DMI strength in the switching region, giving rise to intermediate states in the magnetization confirming the essential role of the DMI on switching processes. We compare the simulation and experimental results to a macrospin model, showing the need for a micromagnetic approa…
The observed magnetization switching by circularly polarized ultrafast laser pulses has been attributed to the inverse Faraday effect in which the induced non-equilibrium orbital momentum serves as an effective magnetic filed via spin-orbit coupling for magnetization rotation and switching. We critically examine this scenario by explicitly calculating the magnitude of the induced orbital momentum for generic itinerant band. We show that the calculated induced angular momentum is not large enough for reversing the magnetization in one laser pulse with the order of 100 femtosecond duration. Inst…
A study of dynamic and reversible voltage controlled magnetization switching in ferromagnetic Co/Pt thin film with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy at room temperature is presented. The change in the magnetic properties of the system is observed in a relatively thick film of 15 nm. A surface charge is induced by the formation of electrochemical double layer between the metallic thin film and non-aqueous lithium LiClO4 electrolyte to manipulate the magnetism. The change in the magnetic properties occurred by the application of an external electric field. As the negative voltage was increased, …
Flexible control of magnetization switching by electrical manners is crucial for applications of spin-orbitronics. Besides of a switching current that is parallel to an applied field, a bias current that is normal to the switching current is introduced to tune the magnitude of effective damping-like and field-like torques and further to electrically control magnetization switching. Symmetrical and asymmetrical control over the critical switching current by the bias current with opposite polarities is both realized in Pt/Co/MgO and $α$-Ta/CoFeB/MgO systems, respectively. This research not only …
We propose a theoretical model of magnetization switching in a ferromagnetic multilayer by both electric current and microwaves. The electric current gives a spin transfer torque on the magnetization, while the microwaves induce a precession of the magnetization around the initial state. Based on numerical simulation of the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert (LLG) equation, it is found that the switching current is significantly reduced compared with the switching caused solely by the spin transfer torque when the microwave frequency is in a certain range. We develop a theory of switching from the LLG eq…
Topological insulators (TIs) with spin momentum locked topological surface states (TSS) are expected to exhibit a giant spin-orbit torque (SOT) in the TI/ferromagnet systems. To date, the TI SOT driven magnetization switching is solely reported in a Cr doped TI at 1.9 K. Here, we directly show giant SOT driven magnetization switching in a Bi2Se3/NiFe heterostructure at room temperature captured using a magneto-optic Kerr effect microscope. We identify a large charge to spin conversion efficiency of ~1-1.75 in the thin TI films, where the TSS is dominant. In addition, we find the current densit…
The interaction of polarized light with a spin in the presence of dissipation is shown to be equivalent to a spin transfer process that can cause switching. In plasmas, the spin transfer is dominated by a spin-spin exchange term while at lower energy densities it is dominated by an optical Barnett-like effect. This latter effect is used in conjunction with optical phonons to predict femtosecond magnetization reversal believed to be recently measured in GdCoFe thin films. Conventional approaches based on the Bloch and the Landau-Lifshitz equations do not reproduce this ultrafast switching.
Magnetization switching by spin-orbit torque (SOT) via spin Hall effect represents as a competitive alternative to that by spin-transfer torque (STT) used for magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), as it does not require high-density current to go through the tunnel junction. For perpendicular MRAM, however, SOT driven switching of the free layer requires an external in-plane field, which poses limitation for viability in practical applications. Here we demonstrate field-free magnetization switching of a perpendicular magnet by utilizing an Iridium (Ir) layer. The Ir layer not only prov…
In this letter, we show that Giant Spin Hall Effect (GSHE) MRAM can enable better energy- delay and voltage performance than traditional MTJ based spin torque devices at scaled nanomagnet dimensions (10-30 nm). Firstly, we derive the effect of dimensional scaling on spin injection efficiency, voltage-delay and energy-delay of spin torque switching using MTJs and GSHE and identify the optimum electrode geometry for low operating voltage (<0.1 V), high speed (>10 GHz) operation. We show that effective spin injection efficiency >100 % can be obtained using optimum spin hall electrode thickness fo…
A theoretical formula is derived for the threshold current to switch a perpendicular magnetization in a ferromagnet by the spin Hall effect. The numerical simulation of the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation indicates that magnetization switching is achieved when the steady-state solution of the magnetization in the presence of the current is outside an energetically unstable region. Based on the numerical result, an analytical theory deriving the threshold current is developed by focusing on the first-order perturbation to the unstable state. The analytical formula clarifies that the magnitude …
The lack of certain crystalline symmetries in strong spin-orbit-coupled non-magnetic materials allows for the existence of uncoventional spin Hall responses, with electrically generated transverse spin currents possessing collinear flow and spin directions. The injection of such spin currents into an adjacent ferromagnetic layer can excite magnetization dynamics via unconventional spin-orbit torques, leading to deterministic switching in ferromagnets with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. We study the interplay between conventional and unconventional spin-orbit torques on the magnetization dy…
In this work the magnetization dynamics of clusters supported on non-magnetic substrates is shown to exhibit an unprecedented complex response when subjected to external magnetic fields. The field-driven magnetization reversal of small Co clusters deposited on a Cu(111) surface has been studied by means of first-principles calculations and atomistic spin dynamics simulations. For applied fields ranging from 1 Tesla to 10 Tesla, we observe a coherent magnetization reversal with switching times in the range of several tenths of picoseconds to several nanoseconds, depending on the field strength.…
Detailed understanding of spin dynamics in magnetic nanomaterials is necessary for developing ultrafast, low-energy and high-density spintronic logic and memory. Here, we develop micromagnetic models and analytical solutions to elucidate the effect of increasing damping and uniaxial anisotropy on magnetic field pulse-assisted switching time, energy and field requirements of nanowires with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and yttrium iron garnet-like spin transport properties. A nanowire is initially magnetized using an external magnetic field pulse (write) and self-relaxation. Next, magnetic …
Two promising strategies for achieving efficient control of magnetization in future magnetic memory and non-volatile spin logic devices are spin transfer torque from spin polarized currents and voltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy (VCMA). Spin transfer torque is in widespread development as the write mechanism for next-generation magnetic memory, while VCMA offers the potential of even better energy performance due to smaller Ohmic losses. Here we introduce a 3-terminal magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device that combines both of these mechanisms to achieve new functionality: gate-voltage-mod…
Recently it has been predicted that a spin-polarized electrical current perpendicular-to-plane (CPP) directly flowing through a magnetic element can induce magnetization switching through spin-momentum transfer. In this letter, the first observation of current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS) in exchange-biased spin-valves (ESPVs) at room temperature is reported. The ESPVs show the CIMS behavior under a sweeping dc current with a very high critical current density. It is demonstrated that a thin Ruthenium (Ru) layer inserted between a free layer and a top electrode effectively reduces th…
Room-Temperature Highly-Tunable Coercivity and Highly-Efficient Nonvolatile Multi-States Magnetization Switching by Small Current in Single 2D Ferromagnet Fe$_3$GaTe$_2$
Symmetry breaking is a characteristic to determine which branch of a bifurcation system follows upon crossing a critical point. Specifically, in spin-orbit torque (SOT) devices, a fundamental question arises: how to break the symmetry of the perpendicular magnetic moment by the in-plane spin polarization? Here, we show that the chiral symmetry breaking by the DMI can induce the deterministic SOT switching of the perpendicular magnetization. By introducing a gradient of saturation magnetization or magnetic anisotropy, non-collinear spin textures are formed by the gradient of effective SOT stren…
We proposed and demonstrated a simple method for detection of in-plane magnetization switching by spin-orbit torque (SOT) in bilayers of non-magnetic / magnetic materials. In our method, SOT is used not only for magnetization switching but also for detection. Our method can detect arbitrary Mx and My component without an external magnetic field, which is useful for fast characterization of type-X, type-Y, and type-XY SOT magnetization switching. Our SOT detection scheme can be utilized not only for fast characterization of SOT switching in bilayers, but also for electrical detection of in-plan…
We report on the current-induced magnetization switching of a three-terminal perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction by spin-orbit torque and the read-out using the tunnelling magnetoresistance (TMR) effect. The device is composed of a perpendicular Ta/FeCoB/MgO/FeCoB stack on top of a Ta current line. The magnetization of the bottom FeCoB layer can be switched reproducibly by the injection of current pulses with density $5\times10^{11}$ A/m$^2$ in the Ta layer in the presence of an in-plane bias magnetic field, leading to the full-scale change of the TMR signal. Our work demonstrates the proof…
In unipolar resistance switching of NiO capacitors, Joule heating in the conducting channels should cause a strong nonlinearity in the low resistance state current-voltage (I-V) curves. Due to the percolating nature of the conducting channels, the reset current IR, can be scaled to the nonlinear coefficient Bo of the I-V curves. This scaling relationship can be used to predict reset voltages, independent of NiO capacitor size; it can also be applied to TiO2 and FeOy capacitors. Using this relation, we developed an error correction scheme to provide a clear window for separating reset and set v…
We systematically investigated the spin wave-assisted magnetization switching (SWAS) of a L10-FePt / Ni81Fe19 (Permalloy; Py) exchange-coupled bilayer using a pulse-like rf field (hrf) and mapped the switching events in the magnetic field (H) - hrf frequency (f) plane to reveal the switching conditions. The switching occurred only in a limited region following the dispersion relationship of the perpendicular standing spin wave (PSSW) modes in Py. The results indicate that SWAS is a resonant magnetization switching process, which is different from the conventional microwave assisted switching, …
Voltage control of magnetism and spintronics have been highly desirable, but rarely realized. In this work, we show voltage-controlled spin-orbit torque (SOT) switching in W/CoFeB/MgO films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) with voltage administered through SrTiO3 with a high dielectric constant. We show that a DC voltage can significantly lower PMA by 45%, reduce switching current by 23%, and increase the damping-like torque as revealed by the first and second-harmonic measurements. These are characteristics that are prerequisites for voltage-controlled and voltage-select SOT switc…
Voltage-induced magnetization dynamics in a conically magnetized free layer with an elliptic cylinder shape is theoretically studied on the basis of the macrospin model. It is found that an application of voltage pulse can induce the precessional switching of magnetization even at zero-bias magnetic field, which is of substantial importance for device applications such as voltage-controlled nonvolatile memory. Analytical expressions of the conditions for precessional switching are derived.
Spin-orbit torques are studied in Ta/TbFeCo patterned structures with a bulk perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (bulk-PMA) for the first time. The current-induced magnetization switching is investigated in the presence of a perpendicular, longitudinal, or transverse field. In order to rule out Joule heating effect, switching of the magnetization is also demonstrated using current pulses. It is found that the anti-damping torque correlated with spin Hall effect is very strong, and a spin Hall angle of about 0.12 is obtained. The field-like torque related with Rashba effect is negligible in this …
We have performed non-local spin injection into a nano-scale ferromagnetic particle configured in a lateral spin valve structure to switch its magnetization only by spin current. The non-local spin injection aligns the magnetization of the particle parallel to the magnetization of the spin injector. The responsible spin current for switching is estimated from the experiment to be about 200 $μ$A, which is reasonable compared with the values obtained for conventional pillar structures. Interestingly the switching always occurs from anti-parallel to parallel in the particle/injector magnetic conf…
A new mechanism different from the spin accumulation picture is proposed for the current induced magnetization switching in magnetic tunnel junctions by taking into account the effect of the electron electron interaction. We found in tunnel structures the possibility of an enhanced spin switching effect that, when normalized with respect to the current, is much bigger than that in multilayers. Some recent experimental results show evidence for the present picture.
The flow of in-plane current through ultrathin magnetic heterostructures can cause magnetization switching or domain wall nucleation owing to bulk and interfacial effects. Within the magnetic layer, the current can create magnetic instabilities via spin transfer torques (STT). At interface(s), spin current generated from the spin Hall effect in a neighboring layer can exert torques, referred to as the spin Hall torques, on the magnetic moments. Here, we study current induced magnetization switching in perpendicularly magnetized CoFeB/MgO heterostructures with a heavy metal (HM) underlayer. Dep…
Ferrimagnetic insulators (FiMI) have been intensively used in microwave and magneto-optical devices as well as spin caloritronics, where their magnetization direction plays a fundamental role on the device performance. The magnetization is generally switched by applying external magnetic fields. Here we investigate current-induced spin-orbit torque (SOT) switching of the magnetization in Y3Fe5O12 (YIG)/Pt bilayers with in-plane magnetic anisotropy, where the switching is detected by spin Hall magnetoresistance. Reversible switching is found at room temperature for a threshold current density o…
We theoretically study the influence of a predominant field-like spin-orbit torque on the magnetization switching of small devices with a uniform magnetization. We show that for a certain range of ratios (0.23-0.55) of the Slonczewski to the field-like torques, it is possible to deterministically switch the magnetization without requiring any external assist field. A precise control of the pulse length is not necessary, but the pulse edge sharpness is critical. The proposed switching scheme is numerically verified to be effective in devices by micromagnetic simulations. Switching without any e…
Voltage-driven 180$^\circ$ magnetization switching without electric current provides the possibility for revolutionizing the spintronics. We demonstrated the voltage-driven charge-mediated 180$^\circ$ magnetization switching at room temperature by combining first-principles calculations and temperature-dependent magnetization dynamics simulation. The electric field ($E$) induced interface charge is found to allow a giant modulation of the magnetic anisotropy ($K$) of the nanomagnet. Particularly $K$ is revealed to vary linearly with respect to $E$ and the epitaxial strain. Magnetization dynami…
We investigate the minimal field strength in precessional magnetization switching using the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation in under-critically damped systems. It is shown that precessional switching occurs when localized trajectories in phase space become unlocalized upon application of field pulses. By studying the evolution of the phase space, we obtain the analytical expression of the critical switching field in the limit of small damping for a magnetic object with biaxial anisotropy. We also calculate the switching times for the zero damping situation. We show that applying field along t…
The mechanisms of the magnetization switching of magnetic multilayers driven by a current are studied by including exchange interaction between local moments and spin accumulation of conduction electrons. It is found that this exchange interaction leads to two additional terms in the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation: an effective field and a spin torque. Both terms are proportional to the transverse spin accumulation and have comparable magnitudes.
We investigate different approaches towards a nonvolatile switching of the remanent magnetization in single-crystalline ferromagnets at room temperature via elastic strain using ferromagnetic thin film/piezoelectric actuator hybrids. The piezoelectric actuator induces a voltage-controllable strain along different crystalline directions of the ferromagnetic thin film, resulting in modifications of its magnetization by converse magnetoelastic effects. We quantify the magnetization changes in the hybrids via ferromagnetic resonance spectroscopy and superconducting quantum interference device magn…
Single-pulse switching has been experimentally demonstrated in ferrimagnetic GdFeCo and Mn$_2$Ru$_x$Ga alloys. Complete understanding of single-pulse switching is missing due to the lack of an established theory accurately describing the transition to the non-equilibrium reversal path induced by femtosecond laser photo-excitation. In this work we present general macroscopic theory for the magnetization dynamics of ferrimagnetic materials upon femtosecond laser excitation. Our theory reproduces quantitatively all stages of the switching process observed in experiments. We directly compare our t…
We report on the switching of the in-plane magnetization of thin yttrium iron garnet (YIG)/Pt bilayers induced by an electrical current. The switching is either field-induced and assisted by a dc current, or current-induced and assisted by a static magnetic field. The reversal of the magnetization occurs at a current density as low as $10^5$~A/cm$^{2}$ and magnetic fields of $\sim 40$~$μ$T, two orders of magnitude smaller than in ferromagnetic metals, consistently with the weak uniaxial anisotropy of the YIG layers. We use the transverse component of the spin Hall magnetoresistance to sense th…
Spintronics provides an efficient platform for realizing non-volatile memory and logic devices. In these systems, data is stored in the magnetization of magnetic materials, and magnetization is switched in the writing process. In conventional spintronic devices, ferromagnetic materials are used which have a magnetization dynamics timescale of around the nanoseconds, setting a limit for the switching speed. Increasing the magnetization switching speed has been one of the challenges in spintronic research. In this work we take advantage of the ultrafast magnetization dynamics in ferrimagnetic ma…
In this work, we propose helicity-dependent switching (HDS) of magnetization of Co/Pt for energy efficient optical receiver. Designing a low power optical receiver for optical-to-electrical signal conversion has proven to be very challenging. Current day receivers use a photodiode that produces a photocurrent in response to input optical signals, and power hungry trans-impedance amplifiers are required to amplify the small photocurrents. Here, we propose light helicity induced switching of magnetization to overcome the requirement of photodiodes and subsequent trans-impedance amplification by …
We show that dipole-field induced antiferromagnetic coupling, or RKKY ferromagnetic coupling, between Co layers can strongly affect the low magnetic field switching behavior of Co/Cu/Co nanopillars. Whereas current-assisted switching at low fields in uncoupled nanopillars is always hysteretic, strong coupling of either kind can change the switching to non-hysteretic (reversible). These differences can be understood with a simple picture of current-assisted thermal activation over a barrier.
Perpendicular MgO-based Magnetic Tunnel Junctions are optimal candidates as building block of Spin Transfer Torque (STT) magnetoresistive memories. However, up to now, the only STT is not enough to achieve switching current density below 106 A/cm2. A recent work [Wang et al., Nature Mater., vol. 11, pp 64-68, Jan. 2012] has experimentally demonstrated the possibility to perform magnetization switching assisted by an electric-field at ultra-low current density. Theoretically, this switching has been studied by using a macrospin approach only. Here, we show a full micromagnetic study. We found t…
Spin-orbit torque (SOT)-induced magnetization switching shows promise for realizing ultrafast and reliable spintronics devices. Bipolar switching of perpendicular magnetization via SOT is achieved under an in-plane magnetic field collinear with an applied current. Typical structures studied so far comprise a nonmagnet/ferromagnet (NM/FM) bilayer, where the spin Hall effect in the NM is responsible for the switching. Here we show that an antiferromagnet/ferromagnet (AFM/FM) bilayer system also exhibits a SOT large enough to switch the magnetization of FM. In this material system, thanks to the …
We compare magnetoresistances (MR) and switching currents (I_s) at room temperature (295K) and 4.2K for Permalloy/N/Permalloy nanopillars undergoing current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS), with non-magnetic metals N = Cu, Ag, and Au. The N-metal thickness is held fixed at 10 nm. Any systematic differences in MR and I_s for the different N-metals are modest, suggesting that Ag and Au represent potentially viable alternatives for CIMS studies and devices to the more widely used Cu.
Electric field effect on magnetism is an appealing technique for manipulating the magnetization at a low cost of energy. Here, we show that the local magnetization of the ultra-thin Co film can be switched by just applying a gate electric field without an assist of any external magnetic field or current flow. The local magnetization switching is explained by the nucleation and annihilation of the magnetic domain through the domain wall motion induced by the electric field. Our results lead to external field free and ultra-low energy spintronic applications.
We summarize our recent findings on how current-driven magnetization switching and magnetoresistance in nanofabricated magnetic multilayers are affected by varying the spin-scattering properties of the non-magnetic spacers, the relative orientations of the magnetic layers, and spin-dependent scattering properties of the interfaces and the bulk of the magnetic layers. We show how our data are explained in terms of current-dependent effective magnetic temperature.
Electric-field control of magnetization dynamics is fundamentally and technologically important for future spintronic devices. Here, based on electric-field control of both magnetic anisotropy and spin--orbit torque, two distinct methods are presented for switching the magnetization in topological insulator (TI)/magnetic-TI hybrid systems. The magnetic anisotropy energy in magnetic TIs is formulated analytically as a function of the Fermi energy, and it is confirmed that the out-of-plane magnetization is always favored for the partially occupied surface band. Also proposed is a transistor-like…
We report the first demonstration of the current-induced magnetization switching in a perpendicularly magnetized A1 CoPt single layer. We show that good perpendicular magnetic anisotropy can be obtained in a wide composition range of the A1 Co1-xPtx single layers, which allows to fabricate perpendicularly magnetized CoPt single layer with composition gradient to break the inversion symmetry of the structure. By fabricating the gradient CoPt single layer, we have evaluated the SOT efficiency and successfully realized the SOT-induced magnetization switching. Our study provides an approach to rea…
Spin-orbit torque (SOT) provides an efficient way to achieve charge-to-spin conversion and can switch perpendicular magnetization, which is essential for designing novel energy-efficient spintronic devices. An out-of-plane SOT could directly switch perpendicular magnetization. Encouragingly, field-free perpendicular magnetization switching of a two-dimensional (2D) material WTe2/ferromagnet (FM) bilayer has been reported recently, but the working temperature (200 K) is below room temperature. Here, we report the field-free perpendicular magnetization switching carried out at room temperature o…
The magnetization switching dynamics of biaxial single-domain homogeneous ferromagnetic particles, in which the two easy axes are perpendicular to each other, is simulated using a 4-state clock model. A zero-field mapping of the statics between the symmetric 4-state clock model and two decoupled Ising models is extended to non-zero field statics and to the dynamics. This significantly simplifies the analysis of the simulation results. We measure the magnetization switching time of the model and analyze the results using droplet theory. The switching dynamics in the asymmetric model is more com…
Recent studies on magnetization dynamics induced by spin-orbit torque have revealed a weak dependence of the critical current for magnetization switching on the damping constant of a ferromagnetic free layer. This study, however, reveals that the damping constant nevertheless plays a key role in magnetization switching induced by spin-orbit torque. An undesirable switching, returning to an initial state, named as back switching, occurs in a ferromagnet with an easy axis parallel to the current direction. Numerical and theoretical analyses reveal that back switching is strongly suppressed when …
Current-induced magnetization switching through spin-orbit torques (SOTs) is the fundamental building block of spin-orbitronics. The SOTs generally arise from the spin-orbit coupling of heavy metals. However, even in a heterostructure where a metallic magnet is sandwiched by two different insulators, a nonzero current-induced SOT is expected because of the broken inversion symmetry; an electrical insulator can be a spin-torque generator. Here, we demonstrate current-induced magnetization switching using an insulator. We show that oxygen incorporation into the most widely used spintronic materi…
