Gate-controllable two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides for spintronic memory

Abstract

Rapid technological advancement has increased the demand for high-speed, low-power devices, particularly applied in artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT). Limitations of traditional memory devices underscore the urgency for high-performance, energy-efficient memory technologies. On the other hand, developing two-dimensional (2D) material-based devices is indispensable for next-generation memory and three-dimensional integration circuit (3D-IC) systems. Here, we propose a gate-controllable spin valve utilizing transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) to meet the urgent need. A high tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) of over 4000% can be reached in reading with the help of the controlled gate. Moreover, under ungated conditions, a giant spin current density with an ultralow power consumption of 80 μW and a high spin-polarized ratio of 0.9 can be achieved, enabling high-speed and energy-efficient switching during writing. According to our design, the gate-controllable system can prevent undesired mixed reading and writing operations. Our results highlight TMDs as a promising material in spintronic memory devices.