Recently it has been predicted that a spin-polarized electrical current perpendicular-to-plane (CPP) directly flowing through a magnetic element can induce magnetization switching through spin-momentum transfer. In this letter, the first observation of current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS) in exchange-biased spin-valves (ESPVs) at room temperature is reported. The ESPVs show the CIMS behavior under a sweeping dc current with a very high critical current density. It is demonstrated that a thin Ruthenium (Ru) layer inserted between a free layer and a top electrode effectively reduces the critical current densities for the CIMS. An inverse CIMS behavior is also observed when the thickness of the free layer increases.
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