Threshold Current for Field-free Switching of the In-plane Magnetization in the Three-terminal Magnetic Tunnel Junction

Abstract: Three-terminal magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ), where non-volatile magnetization state can be switched via spin orbit torque (SOT), is attracting massive research interests since it is featured by high speed, low power, nearly unlimited endurance, etc. The threshold switching current is a key parameter for MTJ as it determines the energy efficiency. Here, with the Routh-Hurwitz criterion, we theoretically derive the threshold current for switching in-plane magnetization in the three-terminal MTJ. Two devices with field-free switching mode are investigated. The one is the Type-x device switched by the combination of SOT and spin transfer torque (STT). The other is the three-terminal MTJ with a canted easy-axis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first theoretical work on the threshold switching current for these two devices. Our developed theoretical method shows clear physical picture, meanwhile good agreement between theoretical derivation and numerical simulation is achieved.