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Orbital-current-driven magnetization switching in a magnetic tunnel junction

Jingkai Xu1,*, Dongxing Zheng1,*, Meng Tang1,*, Chen Liu1, Bin He1, Man Yang1, Hao Li1, Yan Li1, Aitian Chen2 et al.

Senfu Zhang3, Ziqiang Qiu4, and Xixiang Zhang1,†

  • *These authors contributed equally to this work.
  • †Contact author: xixiang.zhang@kaust.edu.sa
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Phys. Rev. Applied 25, 034023 – Published 6 March, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/q2c6-kmmw

Abstract

Spin orbitronics, based on both spin and orbital angular momentum, presents a promising pathway for energy-efficient memory and logic devices. Recent studies have demonstrated the emergence of orbital currents in light transition metals such as Ti, Cr, and Zr, broadening the scope of torque-driven magnetization switching. In particular, the orbital Hall effect, which arises independently of spin-orbit coupling, has shown potential for enhancing torque efficiency in spintronic devices. However, to date, limited work has focused on the direct integration of orbital current into a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ). In this work, we design a light metal/heavy metal/ferromagnet multilayer structure and experimentally demonstrate magnetization switching by orbital current. Furthermore, we have realized a robust spin-orbit torque MTJ cell by incorporating a reference layer that is pinned by a synthetic antiferromagnetic structure. We observed a tunnel magnetoresistance of 66%, evident in both magnetic field and current-driven switching processes. Our findings underscore the potential for employing orbital current in designing next-generation spintronic devices.

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Phys. Rev. Applied 25, 034023– Published 6 March, 2026
  • Received 20 November 2025
  • Revised 29 December 2025
  • Accepted 30 January 2026
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI. Open access publication funded by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).

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