Spintronics for instant-on nonvolatile electronics

Using collective spins or nanomagnets offers the possibility of constructing high speed nonvolatile electronics, resulting in the energy dissipation at the device level possibly approaching the fundamental equilibrium Maxwell-Shannon-Landaur limit. This paper will describe the progress in energy-efficient MgO-based magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) bits for high-speed spin-transfer-torque magnetoresistive random access memory (STT-MRAM). Furthermore, the possibility of a Magnetoelectric RAM (MeRAM) as a promising candidate for ultralow power is discussed. Demonstrated principles and experiments of voltage-induced switching of the magnetization and reorientation of the magnetic easy axis by electric field offer much reduced switching energy at high speed. The latter may enable a new paradigm of high speed nonvolatile electronics.