Oh, Young-Wan Baek, Seung-Heon Chris Kim, Y. M. Lee, Hae Yeon Lee, Kyeong-Dong Yang, Chang-Geun Park, Eun-Sang Lee, Ki-Seung Kim, Kyoung-Whan Go, Gyungchoon Jeong, Jong-Ryul Min, Byoung-Chul Lee, Hyun-Woo Lee, Kyung-Jin Park, Byong-Guk 2024-01-20T03:30:37Z 2024-01-20T03:30:37Z 2021-09-04 2016-10 1748-3387 https://pubs.kist.re.kr/handle/201004/123633 Spin-orbit torques arising from the spin-orbit coupling of non-magnetic heavy metals allow electrical switching of perpendicular magnetization. However, the switching is not purely electrical in laterally homogeneous structures. An extra in-plane magnetic field is indeed required to achieve deterministic switching, and this is detrimental for device applications. On the other hand, if antiferromagnets can generate spin-orbit torques, they may enable all-electrical deterministic switching because the desired magnetic field may be replaced by their exchange bias. Here we report sizeable spin-orbit torques in IrMn/CoFeB/MgO structures. The antiferromagnetic IrMn layer also supplies an in-plane exchange bias field, which enables all-electrical deterministic switching of perpendicular magnetization without any assistance from an external magnetic field. Together with sizeable spin-orbit torques, these features make antiferromagnets a promising candidate for future spintronic devices. We also show that the signs of the spin-orbit torques in various IrMn-based structures cannot be explained by existing theories and thus significant theoretical progress is required. English NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP Field-free switching of perpendicular magnetization through spin-orbit torque in antiferromagnet/ferromagnet/oxide structures Article 10.1038/NNANO.2016.109 1 NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY, v.11, no.10, pp.878 - + NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY 11 10 878 + scie scopus 000385802900013 2-s2.0-84978711442 Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Materials Science, Multidisciplinary Science & Technology - Other Topics Materials Science Article DOMAIN-WALLS SPINTRONICS