Nanoscale exchange-bias magnetic tunnel junctions enabled memristive synapse and leaky-integrate-fire neuron for neuromorphic computing

Neuromorphic computing implemented by spintronic memories offers computational advantages, including in-memory computing capability, high energy efficiency, and near-unlimited endurance. However, their basic units, magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs), face inherent challenges in emulating analog synapses and spiking neurons due to their bistable resistance states and lack of bio-realistic switching dynamics. Here, we experimentally demonstrate on-chip co-integrated memristive synapse and leaky-integrate-fire (LIF) neuron designed with nanoscale exchange-bias MTJs (EB-MTJs). By exploiting the spatial distribution of antiferromagnets and its current-dependent modulation, we achieve stable continuous multi-state synaptic behavior with spike-timing-dependent-plasticity (STDP) characteristics in compact (~100 nm) EB-MTJs. Furthermore, time-resolved measurements reveal that EB-MTJs can be progressively programmed by 0.4 ns pulses, emulating LIF neuronal dynamics with high operational bandwidth in the gigahertz range. Finally, we construct a convolutional spiking neural network based on EB-MTJs and achieve 96% accuracy in gesture recognition via a hybrid backpropagation-STDP algorithm, highlighting their potential in neuromorphic computing.