Reduction of current for magnetization switching in a nanomagnet with perpendicular anisotropy by spin-splitter torque

Abstract This study investigates spin-splitter torque (SST) for magnetization switching in nanoscale magnets with perpendicular anisotropy, aiming to reduce current requirements in magnetic memory devices. A micromagnetic model shows that optimizing the spin polar angle ( <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>θ</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">p</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> </mml:math> ) can lower the threshold current density by 1.6–27 times compared to the traditional spin–orbit torque method. A <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>θ</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">p</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> </mml:math> above ∼134° ensures high switching probability, while tailoring the current pulse shape cuts switching error rates by about 200 times. The findings highlight SST’s promise for energy-efficient and reliable switching in future magnetic random-access memory (MRAM) technologies.