We demonstrate that a perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) is capable of emulating an artificial spiked neuron. The magnetic stack has been designed so that the MTJ has two free layers, whose magnetization can be driven in a windmill-like dynamic by the spin transfer torque. The output-spiking rate is tunable by the dc bias voltage. […]

The large magnetometers currently used onboard satellites for space exploration cannot be installed in the tiny nanosatellites (cubesat) that are envisioned for multipoint measurements. As a first step towards the realization of a miniature space magnetometer, Spintec has demonstrated a strong amplification of the sensitivity of a magnetic field sensor on chip. The current magnetometers […]

Bayesian NN (BayNN) using Dropout-based approximation provides a systematic approach for estimating the uncertainty of predictions. Despite such merit, they are not suitable for implementation in an embedded device and in most cases cannot meet high-performance demands for certain applications. Computation in-memory (CiM) architecture with spintronics emerging non-volatile memories (NVMs) is a great candidate for […]

For the future integration of 2D materials in spintronic devices (sensors, memories…), the ability to grow van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures combining 2D magnets, high mobility, high spin-orbit coupling (SOC) or topological materials on large areas constitutes a real challenge today. Here, by using molecular beam epitaxy in the van der Waals regime, we could […]

Spin-orbit torques (SOTs) have the potential to manipulate magnetization using in-plane current, and two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) provide a highly efficient spin-to-charge current interconversion. This paper reports the non-volatile electric-field control of SOTs in an oxide-based Rashba-Edelstein 2DEG.   We recently reported a significant progress in the path towards a next generation of memory devices […]

Albert Fert, Mairbek Chshiev, André Thiaville and Hongxin Yang, J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 92, 081001 (2023).   In this Review article, the authors briefly introduce the research history of DMI and its significance in the field of modern spintronics. Since the early 1960’s, the discovery of Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction (DMI) helped to explain the physical mechanisms […]

A new type of magnetic sensor based on the spin transfer torque using 50-100nm diameter perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions was recently reported in the IEEE Sensors Journal. The paper demonstrates the magnetic field sensing principle, patented by Spintec in 2020, while also describing possible read-out methods and their associated signal conditioning electronics. Improvements over conventional […]

Book – The basics of electron transport in spintronics: textbook with lectures, exercises and solutions V. Baltz, EDP Sciences Here is the ideal book to grasp the basic concepts of spin-dependent electron transport and to develop a deep physical understanding of the subject. A careful selection of key notions provides a concise and effective framework. […]

The Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction (DMI) arising in the magnetic systems with broken inversion symmetry plays an essential role in topological spintronics. Using atomistic spin model simulations of an intriguing type of DMI emerging in the films with composition gradient (g-DMI), it is demonstrated that that both the strength and chirality of g-DMI can be controlled by […]

  We combined chemical synthesis, magnetic microscopy and micromagnetic simulations to provide a comprehensive view of the micromagnetics of chemical modulations in cylindrical nanowires. This sets the ground for their use to investigate the specific aspects of domain-wall dynamics and spin waves in a curvilinear system. Curvilinear and three-dimensional magnetism are a fast-developing field, considering […]