Method of simulating hybrid STT-MTJ/CMOS circuits based on MATLAB/Simulink

The spin-transfer-torque(STT)magnetic tunneling junction(MTJ)device is one of the prominent candidates for spintronic logic circuit and neuromorphic computing.Therefore,building a simulation framework of hybrid STT-MTJ/CMOS(complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor)circuits is of great value for designing a new kind of computing paradigm based on the spintronic devices.In this work,we develop a simulation framework of hybrid STT-MTJ/CMOS circuits based on MATLAB/Simulink,which is mainly composed of a physics-based STT-MTJ model,a controlled resistor,and a current sensor.In the proposed framework,the STT-MTJ model,based on the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert-Slonczewsk(LLGS)equation,is implemented using the MATLAB script.The proposed simulation framework is modularized design,with the advantage of simple-to-use and easy-to-expand.To prove the effectiveness of the proposed framework,the STT-MTJ model is benchmarked with experimental results.Furthermore,the pre-charge sense amplifier(PCSA)circuit consisting of two STT-MTJ devices is validated and the electrical coupling of two spin-torque oscillators is simulated.The results demonstrate the effectiveness of our simulation framework.

Magnetoresistance effect in vertical NiFe/graphene/NiFe junctions

For convenient and efficient verification of the magnetoresistance effect in graphene spintronic devices, vertical magnetic junctions with monolayer graphene sandwiched between two Ni Fe electrodes are fabricated by a relatively simple way of transferring CVD graphene onto the bottom ferromagnetic stripes. The anisotropic magnetoresistance contribution is excluded by the experimental result of magnetoresistance(MR) ratio dependence on the magnetic field direction. The spin-dependent transport measurement reveals two distinct resistance states switching under an in-plane sweeping magnetic field. A magnetoresistance ratio of about 0.17 % is obtained at room temperature and it shows a typical monotonic downward trend with the bias current increasing. This bias dependence of MR further verifies that the spin transport signal in our device is not from the anisotropic magnetoresistance. Meanwhile, the I–V curve is found to manifest a linear behavior, which demonstrates the Ohmic contacts at the interface and the metallic transport characteristic of vertical graphene junction.