Current-driven magnetization switching in a van der Waals ferromagnet Fe ₃ GeTe ₂

TLDR

The recent discovery of ferromagnetism in two‑dimensional van der Waals materials holds promise for spintronic devices, yet effective electrical switching of magnetization remains a key challenge. The study aims to devise a Fe₃GeTe₂/Pt bilayer that enables electrical switching of few‑layer Fe₃GeTe₂ magnetization via spin‑orbit torques generated in the Pt layer. The authors use harmonic measurements to quantify the effective magnetic fields produced by the spin‑orbit torques in the bilayer. The demonstration of SOT‑driven magnetization switching in Fe₃GeTe₂ shows the feasibility of employing 2D van der Waals magnets in next‑generation spintronic devices.

Abstract

The recent discovery of ferromagnetism in two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) materials holds promises for spintronic devices with exceptional properties. However, to use 2D vdW magnets for building spintronic nanodevices such as magnetic memories, key challenges remain in terms of effectively switching the magnetization from one state to the other electrically. Here, we devise a bilayer structure of Fe3GeTe2/Pt, in which the magnetization of few-layered Fe3GeTe2 can be effectively switched by the spin-orbit torques (SOTs) originated from the current flowing in the Pt layer. The effective magnetic fields corresponding to the SOTs are further quantitatively characterized using harmonic measurements. Our demonstration of the SOT-driven magnetization switching in a 2D vdW magnet could pave the way for implementing low-dimensional materials in the next-generation spintronic applications.