Voltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy in Fe|MgO tunnel junctions studied by x-ray absorption spectroscopy

Shinji Miwa, Kensho Matsuda, Kazuhito Tanaka, Yoshinori Kotani, Minori Goto, Tetsuya Nakamura, Yoshishige Suzuki

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

42 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In this study, voltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy (VCMA) in Fe|MgO tunnel junctions was investigated via the magneto-optical Kerr effect, soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy, and magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopy. The Fe|MgO tunnel junctions showed enhanced perpendicular magnetic anisotropy under external negative voltage, which induced charge depletion at the Fe|MgO interface. Despite the application of voltages of opposite polarity, no trace of chemical reaction such as a redox reaction attributed to O2- migration was detected in the x-ray absorption spectra of the Fe. The VCMA reported in the Fe|MgO-based magnetic tunnel junctions must therefore originate from phenomena associated with the purely electric effect, that is, surface electron doping and/or redistribution induced by an external electric field.

Original languageEnglish
Article number162402
JournalApplied Physics Letters
Volume107
Issue number16
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2015 Oct 19

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