Spin-transfer induced ultrafast precessional switching enhanced by interface anisotropy in a ferromagnetic nanopillar

Spin-transfer induced ultrafast precessional switching of magnetization in a Co/Cu/Co nanopillar device is studied. Micromagnetic calculations show that precessional magnetization switching occurs above a threshold current. The presence of interface uniaxial anisotropy in the Co-thin film free layer influences heavily the current and the energy required to initiate the switching in the device, and the speed of the precessional switching. The threshold current and the precessional switching time are significantly reduced by this effect.     

Relaxing-precessional magnetization switching

A new way of magnetization switching employing both the spin-transfer torque and the torque by a magnetic field is proposed. The solution of the Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert equation shows that the dynamics of the magnetization in the initial stage of the switching is similar to that in the precessional switching, while that in the final stage is rather similar to the relaxing switching. We call the present method the relaxing-precessional switching. It offers a faster and lower-power-consuming way of switching than the relaxing switching and a more controllable way than the precessional switching.     

Nonlinear regimes of resonance precession of the magnetization in a (111) iron-garnet film

The special features of precessional motion under ferromagnetic resonance conditions with perpen-dicular magnetization of the film are investigated on the basis of a numerical solution of the equations of motion of magnetization in a (111) type iron garnet film. Several nonlinear magnetization precession regimes exist for fixed values of the crystallographic and induced anisotropies. Depending on the value of the magnetizing field and the amplitude of the microwave field, precession occurs around the normal to the film with the third harmonic of the fundamental frequency making a small or large contribution to the nutation motion and with a small or large amplitude of the precession angle. Precession regimes around one of three symmetric directions different from the direction of the normal are possible. Narrow ranges of the static field, where dynamical bistability and regimes with a period which is a multiple of the period of the microwave field are realized, exist.     

Spectral analysis of the precessional switching of the magnetization in an isotropic thin film

We study how a magnetic field step triggers the precessional switching of the magnetization in an isotropic thin film. Using a variational approach, we make an analytical estimate of the switching frequency. We compare it to more general analytical models, and to the results obtained numerically by direct integration of the equations of motion. We show that the periodic motions of the three magnetization components can be described satisfactorily with truncated Fourier expansions, indicating a relatively high spectral purity of the magnetic response. Our analytical expressions are simple enough to be physically transparent at first sight, in contrast to the results of the more elaborate models that treat also anisotropy.     

Magnetization switching modes in nanopillar spin valve under the external field

The current-induced magnetic switching is studied in Co/Cu/Co nanopillar with an in-plane magnetization traversed under the perpendicular-to-plane external field.Magnetization switching is found to take place when the current density exceeds a threshold.By analyzing precessional trajectories,evolutions of domain walls and magnetization switching times under the perpendicular magnetic field,there are two different magnetization switching modes:nucleation and domain wall motion reversal;uniform magnetization ...     

Biased quasiballistic spin torque magnetization reversal

We explore the ultrafast limit of spin torque magnetization reversal time. Spin torque precession during a spin torque current pulse and free magnetization ringing after the pulse is detected by time-resolved magnetotransport. Adapting the duration of the pulse to the precession period allows coherent control of the final orientation of the magnetization. In the presence of a hard axis bias field, we find optimum quasiballistic spin torque magnetization reversal by a single precessional turn directly from the initial to the reversed equilibrium state.     

Precessional switching of thin nanomagnets: analytical study

We study analytically the precessional switching of the magnetization of a thin macrospin. We analyze its response when subjected to an external field along its in-plane hard axis. We derive the exact trajectories of the magnetization. The switching versus non switching behavior is delimited by a bifurcation trajectory, for applied fields equal to half of the effective anisotropy field. A magnetization going through this bifurcation trajectory passes exactly along the hard axis and exhibits a vanishing characteristic frequency at that unstable point, which makes the trajectory noise sensitive. Attempting to approach the related minimal cost in applied field makes the magnetization final state unpredictable. We add finite damping in the model as a perturbative, energy dissipation factor. For a large applied field, the system switches several times back and forth. Several trajectories can be gone through before the system has dissipated enough energy to converge to one attracting equilibrium state. For some moderate fields, the system switches only once by a relaxation dominated precessional switching. We show that the associated switching field increases linearly with the damping parameter. The slope scales with the square root of the effective anisotropy. Our simple concluding expressions are useful to assess the potential application of precessional switching in magnetic random access memories.Received: 2 October 2003, Published online: 19 November 2003PACS: 75.40.Gb Dynamic properties (dynamic susceptibility, spin waves, spin diffusion, dynamic scaling, etc.) - 75.60.Jk Magnetization reversal mechanisms - 75.75. + a Magnetic properties of nanostructures     

自旋转移矩效应激发的非线性磁化动力学

本文基于宏观磁矩(macrospin)的Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert方程,模拟研究了磁性自旋阀结构中由垂直膜面流向的自旋极化电流所激发的磁化转动动力学特性.直流自旋极化电流借助自旋转移矩效应可驱动磁矩翻转或作周期性振荡,交流电可以激发出具有混沌行为的磁矩振荡.展示了磁矩振荡行为随电流强度变化而发生倍周期分岔、直至混沌振荡的行为规律. 关键词： 自旋转移矩效应 微磁模拟 磁性自旋阀 混沌     

Phase coherent precessional magnetization reversal in microscopic spin valve elements

We evidence multiple coherent precessional magnetization reversal in microscopic spin valves. Stable, reversible, and highly efficient magnetization switching is triggered by transverse field pulses as short as 140 ps with energies down to 15 pJ. At high fields a phase coherent reversal is found revealing periodic transitions from switching to nonswitching under variation of pulse parameters. At the low field limit the existence of a relaxation dominated regime is established allowing switching by pulse amplitudes below the quasistatic switching threshold.     

Second magnon in antiferromagnets

Hydrodynamic equations are derived microscopically for Heisenberg antiferromagnets with inclusion of quasimomentum as an almost conserved quantity. For finite external and anisotropy fields, the hydrodynamic quantities are magnetization, energy and momentum density. At small fields, the propagating mode is essentially an oscillation of the local temperature. For high fields it is a wave in the longitudinal magnetization. In the absence of both fields, the staggered magnetization and not the magnetization itself is coupled to momentum and energy. The propagating mode is mainly an energy wave. The propagating part in the staggered magnetization is inversely proportional to the wavelength.     

Analysis of magnetization instability patterns in spin-transfer nano-oscillators

The stability of large precessional magnetization motions induced by spin-polarized currents in spin-transfer nano-oscillators is discussed. Quantitative analytical predictions are obtained for the critical values of spin-polarized injected current and external magnetic field at which the oscillator magnetization precession becomes unstable. It is shown that the mechanism leading to instability is parametric resonance of well-defined pairs of magnetostatically coupled perturbation modes. The amplitude of these modes grows to large non-thermal values when the oscillator frequency matches the mean of the natural frequencies of the two coupled modes. Analytical predictions are obtained for the space-time structure and symmetry of the magnetization patterns that are formed at the instability. Analytical results are compared with numerical simulations of spin-transfer-driven magnetization dynamics.     

Radiation-spin interaction, Gilbert damping, and spin torque

Magnetization relaxation processes, which are represented by the Gilbert damping term and the spin torque term in the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert (LLG) equation, are described by the radiation-spin interaction (RSI), where the radiation field is produced by magnetization precessional motion itself. It is shown that the LLG equation including the Gilbert damping term and the spin torque term is derived from the spin Hamiltonian containing the RSI. The derivation of the LLG equation is given in a self-consistent method. It is also shown that, according to RSI, the magnitude of the magnetization vector deviates from the magnetization saturation with the order of O(alpha(2)), where alpha is the Gilbert damping parameter.     

Optical control of the magnetic anisotropy of ferromagnetic bilayered manganites

Optical manipulation of the magnetic anisotropy is demonstrated for bilayered manganites, La2-2xSr1+2xMn2O7, by means of femtosecond Kerr-rotation measurements. Upon the photoexcitation on the x=0.32 crystal, the magnetization exhibits the precessional motion for about 1 ns, revealing the directional change of the magnetocrystalline anisotropy from the c axis to the ab plane. This change of the anisotropy induces the nonthermal decrease of the c-axis magnetization component for about 1 ns.     

Magnetoacoustic waves in magnetizable liquids

Within the framework of the Neuringer-Rosenzweig equations, the solutions describing transverse linearly polarized and longitudinal plane-polarized magnetoacoustic waves are obtained for magnetizable liquids with an arbitrary orientation of the wavevector and the magnetization vector. In the general case, the group velocity vector of magnetoacoustic waves has a component orthogonal to the wavevector. For the solutions obtained here, the velocity of sound decreases from the maximal value for a wave propagating along the magnetization vector to the minimal value corresponding to a wave propagating at right angles to the magnetization vector. Exact solutions of the equations for magnetizable liquids are obtained in the form of the Riemann waves which are transformed into the magnetoacoustic waves under investigation for small perturbations of the parameters of the liquid and magnetic field.     

X-ray detected ferromagnetic resonance in thin films

We discuss the physical content of X-ray Detected Magnetic Resonance (XDMR), i.e. a novel spectroscopy which uses XMCD to probe the resonant precession of the local magnetization in a strong microwave pump field. We focus on the simplest case of a steady-state precession of elemental moments in the non-linear regime of angular foldover. Like XMCD, XDMR is element and edge selective and could become a unique tool to investigate how precessional dynamics can locally affect the spin and orbital magnetization of p- or d-projected DOS. This should be possible only in the limit where there is no overdamping due to ultrafast orbit-lattice relaxation.     

All-optical probe of magnetization dynamics in exchange biased bilayers on the picosecond timescale

All-optical control of the magnetization of polycrystalline exchange bias bilayer systems is achieved using short picosecond laser pulses. Due to the photoexcitation, the spin temperature across the interface between the ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic layer is elevated, resulting in a collapse of the interfacial exchange coupling. Thus, within the first 10 ps, a fast reduction of both the exchange bias field and the coercive field is observed for three different exchange bias systems comprising both different ferromagnets and antiferromagnets. The fast thermal unpinning is followed by a slower heat diffusion dominated relaxation process, which strongly depends on the thermal conductivity of the used buffer layers and substrates. The fast optical unpinning can be understood in terms of an internal anisotropy pulse field capable of triggering ultrafast precessional magnetization dynamics of the ferromagnetic layer, which makes heat-assisted coherent magnetization rotation feasible.     

电磁控制陀螺转子进动角速度的计算

分析了现代激光制导武器中陀螺稳定光学系统式位标器的两种进动控制方式———受控磁环轴向充磁与控制线圈径向布置和受控磁饼径向充磁与控制线圈轴向布置。由现代电磁场理论 ,磁体在磁场中的受力及进动理论 ,分别推导出了它们的进动角速度的计算公式 ,并进行了第一种进动控制方式的计算机模拟计算 ,结果与实际相符     

Dissipation of spin angular momentum in magnetic switching

Applying one ultrashort magnetic field pulse, we observe up to 10 precessional switches of the magnetization direction in single crystalline Fe films of 10 and 15 atomic layers. We find that the rate at which angular momentum is dissipated in uniform large angle spin precession increases with time and film thickness, surpassing the intrinsic ferromagnetic resonance spin lattice relaxation of Fe by nearly an order of magnitude.     

Capillary disintegration of a ferrofluid cylindrical film magnetized to saturation by an axial magnetic field

The subject of consideration is a film of a magnetic fluid applied on the surface of a thin magnetically soft cylinder. Quantities figuring in equations and boundary conditions describing the axisymmetric flow due to capillary and magnetic forces at capillary disintegration of the film are estimated in order of magnitude. The effect of magnetization on the capillary disintegration of the film is studied using simplified equations of ferrohydrodynamics. It is shown that magnetization shifts the range of Rayleigh capillary instability toward longer wave modes. As a result, drops arising at the final stage are larger than in the case of the nonmagnetic liquid.     

Current-driven destabilization of both collinear configurations in asymmetric spin valves

Spin-transfer torque in spin valves usually destabilizes one of the collinear configurations (either parallel or antiparallel) and stabilizes the second one. Apart from this, balance of the spin-transfer and damping torques can lead to steady precessional modes. In this Letter we show that in some asymmetric nanopillars, spin current can destabilize both parallel and antiparallel configurations. As a result, stationary precessional modes can occur at zero magnetic field. The corresponding phase diagram as well as frequencies of the precessional modes have been calculated in the framework of macrospin model. The relevant spin-transfer torque has been calculated in terms of the macroscopic model based on spin diffusion equations.