Electric field-induced magnetization reversal in a perpendicular-anisotropy CoFeB-MgO magnetic tunnel junction

The electric field-induced similar to 180 degrees magnetization reversal is realized for a sputtered CoFeB/MgO-based magnetic tunnel junction with perpendicular magnetic easy axis in a static external magnetic field. Application of bias voltage with nanoseconds duration results in a temporal change of magnetic easy axis in the free layer CoFeB to in-plane, which induces precessional motion of magnetization in the free layer. The magnetization reversal takes place when the bias voltage pulse duration is adjusted to a half period of the precession. We show that the back and forth magnetization reversal can be observed by using successive application of half-period voltage pulses. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4753816]