SPEAR · Spin-orbit materials, emergent phenomena and related technology training

Spin-orbit materials, emergent phenomena and related technology training

The Nanoelectronics Roadmap for Europe, released in December 2018, identifies promising novel technologies to be developed on the medium and long term for the European nanoelectronics industry, among which magnetic random-access memory (MRAM) is highlighted as a future memory technology. Indeed, the largest electronics companies such as Samsung, TSMC and Intel have started large scale production of spin transfer torque (STT)-MRAM. The Roadmap also identifies spintronics as one of the best strategies to complement and go beyond current CMOS technology. Spintronics was born in Europe, led by the 2007 Nobel laureates Profs. A. Fert and P. Grünberg. Although the spintronics academic community is strong, the number of European companies taking advantage of spintronic technologies is still limited relative to the number companies in the US and Asia. The SPEAR network has combined the excellence of the European spintronics community with strong participation of the private sector. New ground-breaking scientific and technological objectives have been targeted in the emerging field of Spin Orbitronics--the use of spin-orbit coupling (SOC) in spintronics--with a special emphasis on the physics of spin-orbit torques (SOTs), spin-to-charge conversion (SCC), 2D magnetic materials, spin Hall nano-oscillators (SHNOs), voltage control of magnetic anisotropy (VCMA) and skyrmions. Our project has devekoped state-of-the-art technologies and materials, including device nanofabrication, high-resolution microscopies, and theoretical calculations. Over its lifetime, the has consortium achieved major scientific breakthroughs across materials, devices, and theoretical understanding, among which we may highlight novel two-dimensional and oxide-based heterostructures with large spin–orbit coupling were developed; emergent magnetic and topological phenomena—such as gate-tunable exchange bias, topological orbital magnetization, and spin–orbit torque control—were uncovered; and prototype spin–orbit-based devices, including SOT-MRAM, SHNOs for neuromorphic computing, and spin–orbit ferroelectric memories (SoFRAM), were demonstrated. These results not only deepen our fundamental understanding of spin–orbit interactions but also provide tangible pathways toward low-power, CMOS-compatible spintronic technologies. Beyond its scientific impact, SPEAR has built a durable European network connecting academia and industry, and trained highly skilled researchers who will drive future innovation in nanoelectronics and quantum technologies.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union