Memristors are considered promising passive nanoelectronic components for next-generation non-volatile memory applications. Non-stoichiometric rutile (TiO_2-x) exhibits a memristive effect caused by the migration of oxygen vacancies under an applied electric field. Additionally, oxygen vacancies can act as mediators of long-range ferromagnetic order in oxide semiconductors doped with magnetic 3D ions, such as Co:TiO_2-x. For the first time, we propose combining the memristive properties of Co:TiO_2-x with its ferromagnetic properties to create a novel non-volatile memory cell–magnetic memristor for nanoelectronic and spintronic applications.

Single-crystalline (001)-rutile TiO₂ plates were implanted with 40 keV cobalt or argon ions at ion fluences of (0.3-1.5)×10¹⁷ ions/cm², an ion flux of 2–10 μA/cm², and a substrate temperature of 900 K. Then strip- or rectangular-type memory cells with dimensions of 100-800 μm were fabricated on Co-ion-implanted rutile samples using electron-beam lithography and ion-beam deposition of gold contacts.

The lithographic samples of magnetic memristors were characterized using current-voltage measurements, optical microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), and magneto-optic Kerr effect (MOKE) measurements at room temperature.

Current-voltage characterization identified samples optimal for repeated cyclic oxygen vacancy migration and memristive effect observation. Real-time monitoring in strip lithographic cells determined the average flow rate of positively charged vacancies at various applied voltages. Both VSM and MOKE measurements show a strong influence of oxygen vacancy content on magnetization and magneto-optical response (MOKE). After the electromigration of oxygen vacancies in lithographic cells of Co:TiO_2-x samples, the MOKE signal became 2-3 times stronger in vacancy-rich regions of cells compared to the initial state or drop nearly to zero in vacancy-depleted regions of cells.

Moreover, for the first time, we demonstrate the fundamental possibility of writing information bits by applying voltage pulses to the fabricated lithographic memory cells, while simultaneously reading data via the registration of magneto-optical responses in cells.