Static magnetization switching in an artificial antiferromagnetic multilayer driven by a voltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy effect

Voltage-induced magnetization switching based on the voltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy (VCMA) effect is expected to be the ultimate low-power-consumption writing method for spintronic devices such as non-volatile magnetoresistive random-access memory. However, for conventional VCMA-driven dynamic magnetization switching, in which sub-nanosecond voltage pulses induce bidirectional switching by inducing a half precession of magnetization, even a small variation in the pulse widths of the order of several picoseconds can cause switching failure. This has become a major obstacle for developing voltage-controlled magnetoresistive random-access memory. Here we report VCMA-driven static magnetization switching by exploiting an artificial antiferromagnetic trilayer structure with interlayer exchange coupling. By applying bipolar voltages to the antiferromagnetic structure, we can demonstrate repeatable bidirectional switching. Unlike conventional dynamic switching, VCMA-driven static magnetization switching is induced in a wide range of pulse widths. This unconventional writing method is expected to be a key for developing various ultralow-power spintronic devices.