Gigantic Current Control of Coercive Field and Magnetic Memory Based on Nanometer-Thin Ferromagnetic van der Waals Fe₃ GeTe₂

Controlling magnetic states by a small current is essential for the next-generation of energy-efficient spintronic devices. However, it invariably requires considerable energy to change a magnetic ground state of intrinsically quantum nature governed by fundamental Hamiltonian, once stabilized below a phase-transition temperature. Here, it is reported that, surprisingly, an in-plane current can tune the magnetic state of the nanometer-thin van der Waals ferromagnet Fe₃ GeTe₂ from a hard magnetic state to a soft magnetic state. It is a direct demonstration of the current-induced substantial reduction of the coercive field. This surprising finding is possible because the in-plane current produces a highly unusual type of gigantic spin-orbit torque for Fe₃ GeTe₂ . In addition, a working model of a new nonvolatile magnetic memory based on the principle of the discovery in Fe₃ GeTe₂ , controlled by a tiny current, is further demonstrated. The findings open up a new window of exciting opportunities for magnetic van der Waals materials with potentially huge impact on the future development of spintronic and magnetic memory.