Large Voltage-Induced Changes in the Perpendicular Magnetic Anisotropy of an MgO-Based Tunnel Junction with an Ultrathin Fe Layer

Abstract

Voltage control of magnetic anisotropy (VCMA) in an ultrathin ferromagnet metal layer is a promising approach for ultralow-power spin manipulation, but interface effects spoil its efficiency for applications such as memory devices. The authors study VCMA in the fully epitaxial ultrathin Fe layer of a magnetic tunnel junction, and achieve an efficiency of almost 300 fJ V${}^{-1}$ m${}^{-1}$ with high perpendicular anisotropy, which satisfies the requirements for gigabit-class spintronic memory.