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Peer-reviewedCC BYNano letters

Dimensional Engineering of Co/W Superlattices Enables Out-of-Plane Spin Polarization with 90% Field-Free Switching in Perpendicular CoFeB.

  • Yu-Lon Lin1
  • Jing-Wen Chen1
  • Yan-Zhen Huang1
  • Tzu-Chuan Hsin2
  • Chih-Wei Cheng1
  • Yu-Han Huang3
  • Ssu-Yen Huang4,5
  • Shintaro Hara6
  • Tatsuya Kishi6
  • Yuan-Chieh Tseng1
6 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Materials Science & Engineering, National Yang-Ming Chiao-Tung University, Hsinchu30010, Taiwan, ROC.
  2. 2Department of Materials Science & Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei10617, Taiwan, ROC.
  3. 3Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute, Hsinchu30010, Taiwan, ROC.
  4. 4Department of Physics, National Taiwan University, Taipei10617, Taiwan, ROC.
  5. 5Center of Atomic Initiatives for New Materials, National Taiwan University, Taipei10617, Taiwan, ROC.
  6. 6TopoLogic Inc., Tokyo113-0033, Japan.
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Abstract

Deterministic spin-orbit torque (SOT) switching of perpendicular magnets without external magnetic fields remains a central challenge for scalable SOT-MRAM. Here, we demonstrate that dimensional engineering of a Co/W superlattice spin-orbit layer enables >90% field-free switching of perpendicular CoFeB. Harmonic Hall measurements reveal an unconventional out-of-plane torque, while first-principles calculations reveal reconstruction of the spin-resolved electronic structure and increased W-projected out-of-plane spin character, together supporting the modification of torque symmetry through Co/W superlattice engineering. The optimized superlattice achieves a critical current density of 23.3 MA cm-2 and a thermal stability factor Δ ≈ 45. Nanoscale devices (100 nm) preserve deterministic field-free reversal with comparable efficiency, confirming scalability toward magnetic tunnel junction integration. Micromagnetic analysis shows that out-of-plane spin-polarized torque together with canted anisotropy enables intrinsic symmetry breaking, highlighting superlattice engineering as a route to tailor torque symmetry for effective field-free SOT devices.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{lin2026dimensional,
  title = {{Dimensional Engineering of Co/W Superlattices Enables Out-of-Plane Spin Polarization with 90% Field-Free Switching in Perpendicular CoFeB.}},
  author = {Yu-Lon Lin and Jing-Wen Chen and Yan-Zhen Huang and Tzu-Chuan Hsin and Chih-Wei Cheng and Yu-Han Huang and Ssu-Yen Huang and Shintaro Hara and Tatsuya Kishi and Yuan-Chieh Tseng},
  journal = {Nano letters},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1021/acs.nanolett.6c04408},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42905086},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Dimensional Engineering of Co/W Superlattices Enables Out-of-Plane Spin Polarization with 90% Field-Free Switching in Perpendicular CoFeB.
AU  - Yu-Lon Lin
AU  - Jing-Wen Chen
AU  - Yan-Zhen Huang
AU  - Tzu-Chuan Hsin
AU  - Chih-Wei Cheng
AU  - Yu-Han Huang
AU  - Ssu-Yen Huang
AU  - Shintaro Hara
AU  - Tatsuya Kishi
AU  - Yuan-Chieh Tseng
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/01
JO  - Nano letters
DO  - 10.1021/acs.nanolett.6c04408
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42905086
AB  - Deterministic spin-orbit torque (SOT) switching of perpendicular magnets without external magnetic fields remains a central challenge for scalable SOT-MRAM. Here, we demonstrate that dimensional engineering of a Co/W superlattice spin-orbit layer enables >90% field-free switching of perpendicular CoFeB. Harmonic Hall measurements reveal an unconventional out-of-plane torque, while first-principles calculations reveal reconstruction of the spin-resolved electronic structure and increased W-projected out-of-plane spin character, together supporting the modification of torque symmetry through Co/W superlattice engineering. The optimized superlattice achieves a critical current density of 23.3 MA cm-2 and a thermal stability factor Δ ≈ 45. Nanoscale devices (100 nm) preserve deterministic field-free reversal with comparable efficiency, confirming scalability toward magnetic tunnel junction integration. Micromagnetic analysis shows that out-of-plane spin-polarized torque together with canted anisotropy enables intrinsic symmetry breaking, highlighting superlattice engineering as a route to tailor torque symmetry for effective field-free SOT devices.
SN  - 1530-6984
SN  - 1530-6992
ER  -