Field Free Spin-Orbit Torque Controlled Synapse and Stochastic Neuron Devices for Spintronic Boltzmann Neural Networks

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Lone, Aijaz H., Tang, Meng, Florica, Camelia, He, Bin, Xu, Jingkai, Zhang, Xixiang, Setti, Gianluca
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Lone, Aijaz H.
Tang, Meng
Florica, Camelia
He, Bin
Xu, Jingkai
Zhang, Xixiang
Setti, Gianluca
author_facet Lone, Aijaz H.
Tang, Meng
Florica, Camelia
He, Bin
Xu, Jingkai
Zhang, Xixiang
Setti, Gianluca
contents Spintronics offers a promising approach to energy efficient neuromorphic computing by integrating the functionalities of synapses and neurons within a single platform. A major challenge, however, is achieving field-free spin orbit torque SOT control over both synaptic and neuronal devices using an industry-adopted spintronic materials stack. In this study, we present field-free SOT spintronic synapses utilizing a CoFeB ferromagnetic thin film system, where asymmetrical device design and specifically added lateral notches in the CoFeB thin film facilitate effective domain wall DW nucleation, movement, and pinning and depinning. This method yields multiple analog, nonvolatile resistance states with enhanced linearity and symmetry, resulting in programmable and stable synaptic weights. We provide a systematic measurement approach to improve the linearity and symmetry of the synapses. Additionally, we demonstrate nanoscale magnetic tunnel junctions MTJs that function as SOT-driven stochastic neurons, exhibiting current-tunable, Boltzmann-like probabilistic switching behavior, which provides an intrinsic in-hardware Gibbs sampling capability. By integrating these synapses and neurons into a Boltzmann machine complemented by a classifier layer, we achieve recognition accuracies greater than 98 percent on the MNIST dataset and 86 percent on Fashion MNIST. This work establishes a framework for field free synaptic and neuronal devices, setting the stage for practical, materials-compatible, and all spintronic neuromorphic computing hardware.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2510_05616
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Field Free Spin-Orbit Torque Controlled Synapse and Stochastic Neuron Devices for Spintronic Boltzmann Neural Networks
Lone, Aijaz H.
Tang, Meng
Florica, Camelia
He, Bin
Xu, Jingkai
Zhang, Xixiang
Setti, Gianluca
Applied Physics
Disordered Systems and Neural Networks
Materials Science
Spintronics offers a promising approach to energy efficient neuromorphic computing by integrating the functionalities of synapses and neurons within a single platform. A major challenge, however, is achieving field-free spin orbit torque SOT control over both synaptic and neuronal devices using an industry-adopted spintronic materials stack. In this study, we present field-free SOT spintronic synapses utilizing a CoFeB ferromagnetic thin film system, where asymmetrical device design and specifically added lateral notches in the CoFeB thin film facilitate effective domain wall DW nucleation, movement, and pinning and depinning. This method yields multiple analog, nonvolatile resistance states with enhanced linearity and symmetry, resulting in programmable and stable synaptic weights. We provide a systematic measurement approach to improve the linearity and symmetry of the synapses. Additionally, we demonstrate nanoscale magnetic tunnel junctions MTJs that function as SOT-driven stochastic neurons, exhibiting current-tunable, Boltzmann-like probabilistic switching behavior, which provides an intrinsic in-hardware Gibbs sampling capability. By integrating these synapses and neurons into a Boltzmann machine complemented by a classifier layer, we achieve recognition accuracies greater than 98 percent on the MNIST dataset and 86 percent on Fashion MNIST. This work establishes a framework for field free synaptic and neuronal devices, setting the stage for practical, materials-compatible, and all spintronic neuromorphic computing hardware.
title Field Free Spin-Orbit Torque Controlled Synapse and Stochastic Neuron Devices for Spintronic Boltzmann Neural Networks
topic Applied Physics
Disordered Systems and Neural Networks
Materials Science
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.05616