Spin-transfer pulse switching: From the dynamic to the thermally activated regime

D. Bedau; H. Liu; J. Z. Sun; J. A. Katine; E. E. Fullerton; S. Mangin; A. D. Kent

doi:10.1063/1.3532960

Spin-transfer pulse switching: From the dynamic to the thermally activated regime

D. Bedau, H. Liu, J. Z. Sun, J. A. Katine, E. E. Fullerton, S. Mangin, A. D. Kent

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The effect of thermal fluctuations on spin-transfer switching has been studied for a broad range of time scales (subnanoseconds to seconds) in a model system, a uniaxial thin film nanomagnet. The nanomagnet is incorporated into a spin-valve nanopillar, which is subject to spin-polarized current pulses of variable amplitude and duration. Two physical regimes are clearly distinguished: a long pulse duration regime, in which reversal occurs by spin-transfer assisted thermal activation over an energy barrier, and a short-time large pulse amplitude regime, in which the switching probability is determined by the spin-angular momentum in the current pulse.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	262502
Journal	Applied Physics Letters
Volume	97
Issue number	26
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3532960
State	Published - Dec 27 2010

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)

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10.1063/1.3532960

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title = "Spin-transfer pulse switching: From the dynamic to the thermally activated regime",

abstract = "The effect of thermal fluctuations on spin-transfer switching has been studied for a broad range of time scales (subnanoseconds to seconds) in a model system, a uniaxial thin film nanomagnet. The nanomagnet is incorporated into a spin-valve nanopillar, which is subject to spin-polarized current pulses of variable amplitude and duration. Two physical regimes are clearly distinguished: a long pulse duration regime, in which reversal occurs by spin-transfer assisted thermal activation over an energy barrier, and a short-time large pulse amplitude regime, in which the switching probability is determined by the spin-angular momentum in the current pulse.",

author = "D. Bedau and H. Liu and Sun, {J. Z.} and Katine, {J. A.} and Fullerton, {E. E.} and S. Mangin and Kent, {A. D.}",

note = "Funding Information: The research at NYU was supported by USARO Grant No. W911NF0710643 and NSF-DMR Grant Nos. 0706322 and 1006575. Research at UCSD was supported by NSF-DMR Grant No. 1008654",

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doi = "10.1063/1.3532960",

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T1 - Spin-transfer pulse switching

T2 - From the dynamic to the thermally activated regime

AU - Bedau, D.

AU - Liu, H.

AU - Sun, J. Z.

AU - Katine, J. A.

AU - Fullerton, E. E.

AU - Mangin, S.

AU - Kent, A. D.

N1 - Funding Information: The research at NYU was supported by USARO Grant No. W911NF0710643 and NSF-DMR Grant Nos. 0706322 and 1006575. Research at UCSD was supported by NSF-DMR Grant No. 1008654

PY - 2010/12/27

Y1 - 2010/12/27

N2 - The effect of thermal fluctuations on spin-transfer switching has been studied for a broad range of time scales (subnanoseconds to seconds) in a model system, a uniaxial thin film nanomagnet. The nanomagnet is incorporated into a spin-valve nanopillar, which is subject to spin-polarized current pulses of variable amplitude and duration. Two physical regimes are clearly distinguished: a long pulse duration regime, in which reversal occurs by spin-transfer assisted thermal activation over an energy barrier, and a short-time large pulse amplitude regime, in which the switching probability is determined by the spin-angular momentum in the current pulse.

AB - The effect of thermal fluctuations on spin-transfer switching has been studied for a broad range of time scales (subnanoseconds to seconds) in a model system, a uniaxial thin film nanomagnet. The nanomagnet is incorporated into a spin-valve nanopillar, which is subject to spin-polarized current pulses of variable amplitude and duration. Two physical regimes are clearly distinguished: a long pulse duration regime, in which reversal occurs by spin-transfer assisted thermal activation over an energy barrier, and a short-time large pulse amplitude regime, in which the switching probability is determined by the spin-angular momentum in the current pulse.

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Spin-transfer pulse switching: From the dynamic to the thermally activated regime

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