TY - JOUR
T1 - A piezoelectric, strain-controlled antiferromagnetic memory insensitive to magnetic fields
AU - Yan, Han
AU - Feng, Zexin
AU - Shang, Shunli
AU - Wang, Xiaoning
AU - Hu, Zexiang
AU - Wang, Jinhua
AU - Zhu, Zengwei
AU - Wang, Hui
AU - Chen, Zuhuang
AU - Hua, Hui
AU - Lu, Wenkuo
AU - Wang, Jingmin
AU - Qin, Peixin
AU - Guo, Huixin
AU - Zhou, Xiaorong
AU - Leng, Zhaoguogang
AU - Liu, Zikui
AU - Jiang, Chengbao
AU - Coey, Michael
AU - Liu, Zhiqi
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.
PY - 2019/2/1
Y1 - 2019/2/1
N2 - Spintronic devices based on antiferromagnetic (AFM) materials hold the promise of fast switching speeds and robustness against magnetic fields1–3. Different device concepts have been predicted4,5 and experimentally demonstrated, such as low-temperature AFM tunnel junctions that operate as spin-valves6, or room-temperature AFM memory, for which either thermal heating in combination with magnetic fields7 or Néel spin–orbit torque8 is used for the information writing process. On the other hand, piezoelectric materials were employed to control magnetism by electric fields in multiferroic heterostructures9–12, which suppresses Joule heating caused by switching currents and may enable low-energy-consuming electronic devices. Here, we combine the two material classes to explore changes in the resistance of the high-Néel-temperature antiferromagnet MnPt induced by piezoelectric strain. We find two non-volatile resistance states at room temperature and zero electric field that are stable in magnetic fields up to 60 T. Furthermore, the strain-induced resistance switching process is insensitive to magnetic fields. Integration in a tunnel junction can further amplify the electroresistance. The tunnelling anisotropic magnetoresistance reaches ~11.2% at room temperature. Overall, we demonstrate a piezoelectric, strain-controlled AFM memory that is fully operational in strong magnetic fields and has the potential for low-energy and high-density memory applications.
AB - Spintronic devices based on antiferromagnetic (AFM) materials hold the promise of fast switching speeds and robustness against magnetic fields1–3. Different device concepts have been predicted4,5 and experimentally demonstrated, such as low-temperature AFM tunnel junctions that operate as spin-valves6, or room-temperature AFM memory, for which either thermal heating in combination with magnetic fields7 or Néel spin–orbit torque8 is used for the information writing process. On the other hand, piezoelectric materials were employed to control magnetism by electric fields in multiferroic heterostructures9–12, which suppresses Joule heating caused by switching currents and may enable low-energy-consuming electronic devices. Here, we combine the two material classes to explore changes in the resistance of the high-Néel-temperature antiferromagnet MnPt induced by piezoelectric strain. We find two non-volatile resistance states at room temperature and zero electric field that are stable in magnetic fields up to 60 T. Furthermore, the strain-induced resistance switching process is insensitive to magnetic fields. Integration in a tunnel junction can further amplify the electroresistance. The tunnelling anisotropic magnetoresistance reaches ~11.2% at room temperature. Overall, we demonstrate a piezoelectric, strain-controlled AFM memory that is fully operational in strong magnetic fields and has the potential for low-energy and high-density memory applications.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85059701379
U2 - 10.1038/s41565-018-0339-0
DO - 10.1038/s41565-018-0339-0
M3 - 快报
C2 - 30617308
AN - SCOPUS:85059701379
SN - 1748-3387
VL - 14
SP - 131
EP - 136
JO - Nature Nanotechnology
JF - Nature Nanotechnology
IS - 2
ER -