Backhopping in magnetic tunnel junctions: Micromagnetic approach and experiment

Micromagnetic simulations of Current Induced Magnetization Switching (CIMS) loops in CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB exchange-biased Magnetic Tunnel Junctions (MTJ) are discussed. Our model uses the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation with the Slonczewski׳s Spin-Transfer-Torque (STT) component. The current density for STT is calculated from the applied bias voltage and tunnel magnetoresistance which depends on the local magnetization vectors arrangement. We take into account the change in the anti-parallel state resistance with increasing bias voltage. Using such model we investigate influence of the interlayer exchange coupling, between free and reference layers across the barrier, on the backhopping effect in anti-parallel to parallel switching. We compare our simulated CIMS loops with the experimental data obtained from MTJs with different MgO barrier thicknesses.