Neurons in the brain behave as nonlinear oscillators, which develop rhythmic activity and interact to process information. Taking inspiration from this behaviour to realize high-density, low-power neuromorphic computing will require very large numbers of nanoscale nonlinear oscillators. A simple estimation indicates that to fit 108 oscillators organized in a two-dimensional array inside a chip the size of a thumb, the lateral dimension of each oscillator must be smaller than one micrometre. However, nanoscale devices tend to be noisy and to lack the stability that is required to process data in a reliable way. For this reason, despite multiple theoretical proposals and several candidates, including memristive and superconducting oscillators, a proof of concept of neuromorphic computing using nanoscale oscillators has yet to be demonstrated. Here we show experimentally that a nanoscale spintronic oscillator (a magnetic tunnel junction) can be used to achieve spoken-digit recognition with an accuracy similar to that of state-of-the-art neural networks. We also determine the regime of magnetization dynamics that leads to the greatest performance. These results, combined with the ability of the spintronic oscillators to interact with each other, and their long lifetime and low energy consumption, open up a path to fast, parallel, on-chip computation based on networks of oscillators.

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Neuromorphic computing with nanoscale spintronic oscillators

A M was supported by the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) T J acknowledges support from the EU FET Open RIA Grant No 766566, the Ministry of Education of the Czech Republic Grant No LM2015087 and LNSM-LNSpin, and the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic Grant No 19-28375X J S acknowledges the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, EU FET Open Grant No 766566, EU ERC Synergy Grant No 610115, and the Transregional Collaborative Research Center (SFB/TRR) 173 SPIN+X K G and P G acknowledge stimulating discussions with C O Avci and financial support by the Swiss National Science Foundation (Grants No 200021-153404 and No 200020-172775) and the European Commission under the Seventh Framework Program (spOt project, Grant No 318144) A T acknowledges support by the Agence Nationale de la Recherche, Project No ANR-17-CE24-0025 (TopSky) J Ž acknowledges the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic Grant No 19-18623Y and support from the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences and the Max Planck Society through the Max Planck Partner Group programme

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Current-induced spin-orbit torques in ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic systems

Hydrothermal technology for nanotechnology

Spin-orbit torque (SOT)-induced magnetization switching shows promise for realizing ultrafast and reliable spintronics devices. Bipolar switching of the perpendicular magnetization by the 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 the FM. In this material system, thanks to the exchange bias of the AFM, we observe the switching in the absence of an applied field by using an antiferromagnetic PtMn and ferromagnetic Co/Ni multilayer with a perpendicular easy axis. Furthermore, tailoring the stack achieves a memristor-like behaviour where a portion of the reversed magnetization can be controlled in an analogue manner. The AFM/FM system is thus a promising building block for SOT devices as well as providing an attractive pathway towards neuromorphic computing.

Magnetization switching by spin–orbit torque in an antiferromagnet–ferromagnet bilayer system

This Review discusses recent advances towards electric-field control of magnetism in ferromagnetic semiconductors and metals, and in multiferroics. The electrical manipulation of magnetism and magnetic properties has been achieved across a number of different material systems. For example, applying an electric field to a ferromagnetic material through an insulator alters its charge-carrier population. In the case of thin films of ferromagnetic semiconductors, this change in carrier density in turn affects the magnetic exchange interaction and magnetic anisotropy; in ferromagnetic metals, it instead changes the Fermi level position at the interface that governs the magnetic anisotropy of the metal. In multiferroics, an applied electric field couples with the magnetization through electrical polarization. This Review summarizes the experimental progress made in the electrical manipulation of magnetization in such materials, discusses our current understanding of the mechanisms, and finally presents the future prospects of the field.

Control of magnetism by electric fields

We investigated perpendicular CoFeB-MgO magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with a recording structure consisting of two CoFeB-MgO interfaces, MgO/CoFeB (1.6 nm)/Ta (0.4 nm)/CoFeB (1.0 nm)/MgO. Thermal stability factor of MTJ with the structure having junction size of 70 nmφ was increased by a factor of 1.9 from the highest value of perpendicular MTJs with single CoFeB-MgO interface having the same device structure. On the other hand, intrinsic critical current for spin transfer torque switching of the double- and single-interface MTJs was comparable.

Perpendicular-anisotropy CoFeB-MgO magnetic tunnel junctions with a MgO/CoFeB/Ta/CoFeB/MgO recording structure

We investigate properties of perpendicular anisotropy magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with a recording structure of MgO/CoFeB/Ta/CoFeB/MgO down to junction diameter (D) of 11 nm from 56 nm. Thermal stability factor (Δ) of MTJ with the structure starts to decrease at D = 30 nm. D dependence of Δ agrees well with that expected from magnetic properties of blanket film taking into account the change in demagnetizing factors of MTJs. Intrinsic critical current (IC0) reduces with decrease of D in the entire investigated D range. A ratio of Δ to IC0 shows continuous increase with decrease of D down to 11 nm.

Properties of magnetic tunnel junctions with a MgO/CoFeB/Ta/CoFeB/MgO recording structure down to junction diameter of 11 nm

We study the device size dependence of spin-orbit torque induced magnetization switching in a Ta/CoFeB/MgO structure with perpendicular easy axis. The miniaturization of the device from micrometer-sized wire to 80-nm dot results in the increase of the threshold current density Jth by one order, whereas Jth increases only slightly with further reducing the device size down to 30 nm. No significant increase in Jth is seen, as the current pulse width decreases from 100 ms down to 3 ns. We reveal that the switching in devices at reduced size is reasonably well explained by the macrospin model, in which the effects of both the Slonczewski-like torque and field-like torque are included.

Spin-orbit torque induced magnetization switching in nano-scale Ta/CoFeB/MgO

Junction size dependence of critical current (IC0) for spin transfer torque switching and thermal stability factor (E/kBT) was examined in CoFeB/MgO perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions (p-MTJs). The IC0 increased with increasing recording layer area (Srec). On the other hand, the E/kBT showed almost constant values even though the Srec was increased from ∼1500 nm2 (44 nmφ) to ∼5000 nm2 (76 nmφ). Both IC0 and E/kBT behavior can be explained with assuming that the nucleation type magnetization reversal takes place in CoFeB/MgO p-MTJs.

Hiroki Sato

Papers

Perpendicular-anisotropy CoFeB-MgO magnetic tunnel junctions with a MgO/CoFeB/Ta/CoFeB/MgO recording structure

Properties of magnetic tunnel junctions with a MgO/CoFeB/Ta/CoFeB/MgO recording structure down to junction diameter of 11 nm

Spin-orbit torque induced magnetization switching in nano-scale Ta/CoFeB/MgO

Junction size effect on switching current and thermal stability in CoFeB/MgO perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions

Cz grown 2-in. size Ce:Gd3(Al,Ga)5O12 single crystal; relationship between Al, Ga site occupancy and scintillation properties