In this article we analyze by modeling two possible mechanisms for magnetization switching using spin orbit torques, which have been reported to cause field-free deterministic switching in experiments. Here we compare the field-free magnetization switching due to a tilt of the anisotropy direction against the use of an antiferromagnetic bias field. Simple results obtained analytically show that a bias field not only causes the magnetization reversal but also reduces the corresponding energy barrier. The critical current required for magnetization switching is analyzed on the basis of a macrospin model. It is shown that although the field-free deterministic switching caused by a tilt of the anisotropy is more robust than the bias field in the development of memory elements, a compromise between requirements has to be adopted when selecting the parameters for specific applications.
@article{arxiv.2003.05468,
title = {A comparison of two different mechanisms for deterministic spin orbit torque magnetization switching},
author = {F. Garcia-Sanchez and G. Soares and M. Pasquale},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2003.05468},
year = {2020}
}