Macrospin in ferromagnetic nanojunctions

• Published in: Journal of experimental and theoretical physics 2008-12, Vol.107 (6), p.1027-1038
• Main Authors: Gulyaev, Yu. V., Zilberman, P. E., Panas, A. I., Epshtein, E. M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: APPROXIMATIONS; Classical and Quantum Gravitation; Electronic Properties of Solids; Elementary Particles; EQUATIONS OF MOTION; EQUILIBRIUM; LAYERS; MAGNETIC FIELDS; MAGNETIZATION; NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY; NANOSTRUCTURES; Particle and Nuclear Physics; PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Quantum Field Theory; Relativity Theory; Solid State Physics; SPIN; SPIN ORIENTATION; TORQUE; VALVES
• ISSN: 1063-7761; 1090-6509
• DOI: 10.1134/S1063776108120121

We study the passage of transverse current through a ferromagnetic nanojunctions, viz., a layered nanostructure of the spin-valve type containing two ferromagnetic layers separated by a spacer that prevents exchange coupling between the layers in the absence of current, but does not affect spin polarization of the current. The conditions for a high level of injection of spins by current are derived at which the concentration of injected nonequilibrium spins can reach or even exceed their equilibrium concentration. In such conditions, a number of new effects are observed. The threshold of exchange switching by current is lowered by several orders of magnitude due to matching of spin resistances of the layers. The application of an external magnetic field in the vicinity of the orientation phase transition additionally lowers this threshold. This leads to multistability, in which one value of the current corresponds to two (or more) stable noncollinear orientations of magnetization, and switching itself becomes irreversible. A methodical feature of this research is that the calculation is performed in the so-called macrospin approximation, which is in good agreement with most of known experiments. In this approximation, the equations of motion taking into account the torque as well as spin injection are derived for the first time and solved.