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Effective Reduction of Critical Current for Current-Induced Magnetization Switching by a Ru Layer Insertion in an Exchange-Biased Spin Valve

2004; American Physical Society; Volume: 92; Issue: 16 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1103/physrevlett.92.167204

1092-0145

Yun Jiang, Shinya Abe, Tetsuyuki Ochiai, Takayuki Nozaki, Atsufumi Hirohata, N. Tezuka, K. Inomata,

Physics of Superconductivity and Magnetism

Recently, it has been predicted that a spin-polarized electrical current perpendicular to plane 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 the critical current densities for the CIMS. An ``inverse'' CIMS behavior is also observed when the thickness of the free layer increases.