A group led by Senior Research Scientist Masamitsu Hayashi, National Institute for Material Science, along with Professor Hideo Ohno, Tohoku University has discovered that in a magnetic heterostructure, composed of an ultrathin ferromagnetic metal layer sandwiched by an oxide layer and a nonmagnetic metal layer, a few atomic layers variation of the nonmagnetic layer can considerably change the efficiency of electrically controlling the magnetization direction of the ferromagnetic layer. These findings are important for developing nonvolatile memory and logic device technologies using magnetic heterostructures.

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[Contact]

(On the research)

Senior Research Scientist Masamitsu Hayashi

Spintronics Group, Magnetic Materials Unit

National Institute for Material Science

E-mail: hayashi.masamitsu*nims.go.jp (Replace * with @)

TEL: +81-29-859-2136

URL: http://www.nims.go.jp/group/spin/index.html

(On the FIRST program "Research and Development of Ultra-low Power Spintronics-based VLSIs") Support-office Manager Yutaka Kadowaki

Center for Spintronics Integrated Systems, Tohoku University

Address: 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8577 Japan

E-mail: yut-kado*riec.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)

TEL: +81-22-217-6116, FAX: +81-22-217-6117

(Public Relations)

Public Relations Office, Planning Division

National Institute for Material Science

Address: 1-2-1, Sengen, Tsukuba-city Ibaraki 305-0047 Japan

TEL: +81-29-859-2026, FAX: +81-29-859-2017