Title
Integration platform for optical switching of magnetic elements
Date Issued
01 January 2020
Access level
open access
Resource Type
conference paper
Author(s)
Sobolewska E.K.
Pelloux-Prayer J.
Becker H.
Li G.
Davies C.S.
Krückel C.J.
Olivier A.
Sousa R.C.
Prejbeanu I.L.
Kiriliouk A.I.
Van Thourhout D.
Rasing T.
Moradi F.
Heck M.J.R.
Ghent University
Publisher(s)
SPIE
Abstract
We present a detailed investigation of a novel platform for integration of spintronic memory elements and a photonic network, for future ultrafast and energy-efficient memory. We designed and fabricated magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structures based on (Tb/Co)x5 multilayer stack with optically switchable magnetization. Optical single-pulse measurements allowed us to estimate the value of the stray field present in the parallel configuration, which prevents the structure from all-optical switching. We performed numerical calculations based on the Finite Difference Time Domain method and ellipsometry measurements of (Tb/Co)x5 to compute the absorption by the MTJ structure. Simulation results are in good agreement with the experimental measurements, where we implemented a thermal model to estimate effective absorption in the pillar. These estimations showed up to 14% absorption of the incident optical power in 300-nm-wide MTJ. Moreover, we designed and realized an integrated optical network with focusing structures to efficiently guide and couple the light into the MTJs. We show a chain of necessary steps to obtain the threshold value of the switching energy, and our results presenting a path forward for full system integration of optically switchable MRAM technology
Volume
11461
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Ingeniería de materiales Ingeniería de sistemas y comunicaciones Telecomunicaciones
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85093869380
ISSN of the container
0277786X
ISBN of the container
978-151063728-3
Conference
Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus