We report on a voltage-tunable radio-frequency (RF) detector based on a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ). The spin-torque diode effect is used to excite and/or detect RF oscillations in the magnetic free layer of the MTJ. In order to reduce the overall in-plane magnetic anisotropy of the free layer, we take advantage of the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy at the interface between ferromagnetic and insulating layers. The applied bias voltage is shown to have a significant influence on the magnetic anisotropy, and thus on the resonance frequency of the device. This influence also depends on the voltage polarity. The obtained results are accounted for in terms of the interplay of spin-transfer-torque and voltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy effects.

Perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJ) with a bottom pinned reference layer and a composite free layer (FL) are investigated. Different thicknesses of the FL were tested to obtain an optimal balance between tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) ratio and perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. After annealing at 400 °C, the TMR ratio for 1.5 nm thick CoFeB sublayer reached 180% at room temperature and 280% at 20 K with an MgO tunnel barrier thickness corresponding to the resistance area product RA = 10 Ohmμm². The voltage vs. magnetic field stability diagrams measured in pillar-shaped MTJs with 130 nm diameter indicate the competition between spin transfer torque (STT), voltage controlled magnetic anisotropy (VCMA) and temperature effects in the switching process. An extended stability phase diagram model that takes into account all three effects and the effective damping measured independently using broadband ferromagnetic resonance technique enabled the determination of both STT and VCMA coefficients that are responsible for the FL magnetization switching.

We report on a highly efficient spin diode effect in exchange-biased spin-valve giant-magnetoresistance (GMR) strips. In such multilayer structures, the symmetry of the current distribution along the vertical direction is broken and, as a result, a noncompensated Oersted field acting on the magnetic free layer appears. This field in turn is a driving force of magnetization precessions. Due to the GMR effect, the resistance of the strip oscillates following the magnetization dynamics. This leads to rectification of the applied radio-frequency current and induces a direct-current voltage ${V}_{\text{dc}}$. We present a theoretical description of this phenomenon and calculate the spin diode signal ${V}_{\text{dc}}$ as a function of frequency, external magnetic field, and angle at which the external field is applied. Satisfactory quantitative agreement between theoretical predictions and experimental data has been achieved. Finally, we show that the spin diode signal in GMR devices is significantly stronger than in the anisotropic magnetoresistance permalloy-based devices.

Spin-transfer ferromagnetic resonance (ST-FMR) in symmetric magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with a varied thickness of the MgO tunnel barrier ($0.75\phantom{\rule{0.222222em}{0ex}}\text{nm}<{t}_{\mathrm{MgO}}<1.05\phantom{\rule{0.222222em}{0ex}}\text{nm}$) is studied using the spin-torque diode effect. The application of an rf current into nanosized MTJs generates a dc mixing voltage across the device when the frequency is in resonance with the resistance oscillations arising from the spin-transfer torque. Magnetization precession in the free and reference layers of the MTJs is analyzed by comparing ST-FMR signals with macrospin and micromagnetic simulations. From ST-FMR spectra at different dc bias voltage, the in-plane and perpendicular torkances are derived. The experiments and free electron model calculations show that the absolute torque values are independent of tunnel barrier thickness. The influence of coupling between the free and reference layer of the MTJs on the ST-FMR signals and the derived torkances are discussed.

We describe the dynamics of an antiferromagnetic nano-oscillator in an external magnetic field of any given time distribution. The oscillator is powered by a spin current originating from spin-orbit effects in a neighboring heavy metal layer and is capable of emitting a THz signal in the presence of an additional easy-plane anisotropy. We derive an analytical formula describing the interaction between such a system and an external field, which can affect the output signal character. Interactions with magnetic pulses of different shapes, with a sinusoidal magnetic field and with a sequence of rapidly changing magnetic fields are discussed. We also perform numerical simulations based on the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation with spin-transfer torque effects to verify the obtained results and find a very good quantitative agreement between analytical and numerical predictions.

We present a detailed study of Ta/Ru-based buffers and their influence on features crucial from the point of view of applications of Magnetic Tunnel Junctions (MTJs) such as critical switching current and thermal stability. We study buffer/FeCoB/MgO/Ta/Ru and buffer/MgO/FeCoB/Ta/Ru layers, investigating the crystallographic texture, the roughness of the buffers, the magnetic domain pattern, the magnetic dead layer thickness, and the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy fields for each sample. Additionally, we examine the effect of the current induced magnetization switching for complete nanopillar MTJs with lateral dimensions of 270 × 180 nm. Buffer Ta 5/Ru 10/Ta 3 (thicknesses in nm), which has the thickest dead layer, exhibits a much larger thermal stability factor (63 compared to 32.5) while featuring a slightly lower critical current density value (1.25 MA/cm2 compared to 1.5 MA/cm2) than the buffer with the thinnest dead layer Ta 5/Ru 20/Ta 5. We can account for these results by considering the difference in damping which compensates for the difference in the switching barrier heights.