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This paper reviews the state of the art in spin-torque and spin-Hall-effect-driven nano-oscillators. After a brief introduction to the underlying physics, the authors discuss different implementations of these oscillators, their functional properties in terms of frequency range, output power, phase noise, and modulation rates, and their inherent propensity for mutual synchronization. Finally, the potential for these oscillators in a wide range of applications, from microwave signal sources and detectors to neuromorphic computation elements, is discussed together with the specific electronic circuitry that has so far been designed to harness this potential. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) spin torque oscillators (STOs) have shown the potential to be used in a wide range of microwave and sensing applications. To evaluate the potential uses of MTJ STO technology in various applications, an analytical model that can capture MTJ STO’s characteristics, while enabling system- and circuit-level designs, is of great importance. An analytical model based on macrospin approximation is necessary for these designs since it allows implementation in hardware description languages. This paper presents a new macrospin-based, comprehensive, and compact MTJ STO model, which can be used for various MTJ STOs to estimate the performance of MTJ STOs together with their application-specific integrated circuits. To adequately present the complete model, this paper is divided into two parts. In Part I, the analytical model is introduced and verified by comparing it against measured data of three different MTJ STOs, varying the angle and magnitude of the magnetic field, as well as the DC biasing current. The proposed analytical model is suitable for being implemented in Verilog-A and used for efficient simulations at device, circuit, and system levels. In Part II, the full Verilog-A implementation of the analytical model with accurate phase noise generation is presented and verified by simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of the magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) spin torque oscillator (STO) technology demands an analytical model to enable building MTJ STO-based circuits and systems so as to evaluate and utilize MTJ STOs in various applications. In Part I of this paper, an analytical model based on the macrospin approximation has been introduced and verified by comparing it with the measurements of three different MTJ STOs. In Part II, the full Verilog-A implementation of the proposed model is presented. To achieve a reliable model, an approach to reproducing the phase noise generated by the MTJ STO has been proposed and successfully employed. The implemented model yields a time domain signal, which retains the characteristics of operating frequency, linewidth, oscillation amplitude, and DC operating point, with respect to the magnetic field and applied DC current. The Verilog-A implementation is verified against the analytical model, providing equivalent device characteristics for the full range of biasing conditions. Furthermore, a system that includes an MTJ STO and CMOS RF circuits is simulated to validate the proposed model for system- and circuit-level designs. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed model opens the possibility to explore STO technology in a wide range of applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]