Probabilistic computing with voltage-controlled dynamics in magnetic tunnel junctions.

Probabilistic (p-) computing is a physics-based approach to addressing computational problems which are difficult to solve by conventional von Neumann computers. A key requirement for p-computing is the realization of fast, compact, and energy-efficient probabilistic bits. Stochastic magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with low energy barriers, where the relative dwell time in each state is controlled by current, have been proposed as a candidate to implement p-bits.

Magnetization reversal driven by low dimensional chaos in a nanoscale ferromagnet.

Energy-efficient switching of magnetization is a central problem in nonvolatile magnetic storage and magnetic neuromorphic computing. In the past two decades, several efficient methods of magnetic switching were demonstrated including spin torque, magneto-electric, and microwave-assisted switching mechanisms. Here we experimentally show that low-dimensional magnetic chaos induced by alternating spin torque can strongly increase the rate of thermally-activated magnetic switching in a nanoscale ferromagnet.

A platform for time-resolved scanning Kerr microscopy in the near-field.

Time-resolved scanning Kerr microscopy (TRSKM) is a powerful technique for the investigation of picosecond magnetization dynamics at sub-micron length scales by means of the magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE). The spatial resolution of conventional (focused) Kerr microscopy using a microscope objective lens is determined by the optical diffraction limit so that the nanoscale character of the magnetization dynamics is lost. Here we present a platform to overcome this limitation by means of a near-field TRSKM that incorporates an atomic force microscope (AFM) with optical access to a metallic AFM probe with a nanoscale aperture at its tip.

Parametric Resonance of Magnetization Excited by Electric Field.

Manipulation of magnetization by electric field is a central goal of spintronics because it enables energy-efficient operation of spin-based devices. Spin wave devices are promising candidates for low-power information processing, but a method for energy-efficient excitation of short-wavelength spin waves has been lacking. Here we show that spin waves in nanoscale magnetic tunnel junctions can be generated via parametric resonance induced by electric field.

Giant spin-torque diode sensitivity in the absence of bias magnetic field.

Microwave detectors based on the spin-torque diode effect are among the key emerging spintronic devices. By utilizing the spin of electrons in addition to charge, they have the potential to overcome the theoretical performance limits of their semiconductor (Schottky) counterparts. However, so far, practical implementations of spin-diode microwave detectors have been limited by the necessity to apply a magnetic field.

Time domain mapping of spin torque oscillator effective energy.

Stochastic dynamics of spin torque oscillators can be described in terms of magnetization drift and diffusion over a current-dependent effective energy surface given by the Fokker-Planck equation. Here we present a method that directly probes this effective energy surface via time-resolved measurements of the microwave voltage generated by a spin torque oscillator. We show that the effective energy approach provides a simple recipe for predicting spectral linewidths and line shapes near the generation threshold.

Ultralow-current-density and bias-field-free spin-transfer nano-oscillator.

The spin-transfer nano-oscillator (STNO) offers the possibility of using the transfer of spin angular momentum via spin-polarized currents to generate microwave signals. However, at present STNO microwave emission mainly relies on both large drive currents and external magnetic fields. These issues hinder the implementation of STNOs for practical applications in terms of power dissipation and size.

High-power coherent microwave emission from magnetic tunnel junction nano-oscillators with perpendicular anisotropy.

The excitation of the steady-state precessions of magnetization opens a new way for nanoscale microwave oscillators by exploiting the transfer of spin angular momentum from a spin-polarized current to a ferromagnet, referred to as spin-transfer nano-oscillators (STNOs). For STNOs to be practical, however, their relatively low output power and their relatively large line width must be improved. Here we demonstrate that microwave signals with maximum measured power of 0.

Mutual phase-locking of microwave spin torque nano-oscillators.

The spin torque effect that occurs in nanometre-scale magnetic multilayer devices can be used to generate steady-state microwave signals in response to a d.c. electrical current.