Spin reorientation transition in CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB tunnel junction enabled by ultrafast laser-induced suppression of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy.

Magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) is a leading contender for next generation high-density nonvolatile memory technology. Fast and efficient switching of MTJs between different resistance states is a challenging problem, which can be tackled by using an unconventional stimulus-a femtosecond laser pulse. Herein, we report an experimental study of the laser-induced magnetization dynamics in a CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB (CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB) MTJ with ultrathin CoFeB electrodes possessing perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA).