Memristive switching of MgO based magnetic tunnel junctions

Here we demonstrate that both, tunnel magneto resistance (TMR) and resistive switching (RS), can be observed simultaneously in nano-scale magnetic tunnel junctions. The devices show bipolar RS of 6 % and TMR ratios of about 100 %. For each magnetic state, multiple resistive sates are created depending on the bias history which provides a method for multi-bit data storage and logic. The electronic transport measurements are discussed in the framework of a memristive system. Differently prepared MgO barriers are compared to gain insight into the switching mechanism.