Researchers at IRIG have used Ta/CoFeB/MgO thin-film stacks possessing a two-dimensional electron gas, which offer key advantages for integration into spintronic technologies. The conductivity of the electron gas can be modulated using an electric field applied across the SrTiO₃​ substrate, with two switchable and remanent high- and low-resistivity states of the device. The resistance contrast is over 1000%. Researchers then measured the spin-orbit torques acting on magnetization in the Hall cross, and found that the effects on magnetization are different for the high- and low-resistivity states.

This non-volatile electrical control has the potential to create a new generation of devices for memory and logic applications, and for artificial intelligence.

​Scanning microscopy  image : Hall cross nanostructure used for measurements. Branch widths range from 200 nm to 2 µm. Credit CEA​