38 research outputs found
Large microwave generation from d.c. driven magnetic vortex oscillators in magnetic tunnel junctions
Spin polarized current can excite the magnetization of a ferromagnet through
the transfer of spin angular momentum to the local spin system. This pure
spin-related transport phenomena leads to alluring possibilities for the
achievement of a nanometer scale, CMOS compatible and tunable microwave
generator operating at low bias for future wireless communications. Microwave
emission generated by the persitent motion of magnetic vortices induced by spin
transfer effect seems to be a unique manner to reach appropriate spectral
linewidth. However, in metallic systems, where such vortex oscillations have
been observed, the resulting microwave power is much too small. Here we present
experimental evidences of spin-transfer induced core vortex precessions in
MgO-based magnetic tunnel junctions with similar good spectral quality but an
emitted power at least one order of magnitude stronger. More importantly,
unlike to others spin transfer excitations, the thorough comparison between
experimental results and models provide a clear textbook illustration of the
mechanisms of vortex precessions induced by spin transfer
Spin torque resonant vortex core expulsion for an efficient radio-frequency detection scheme
Spin-polarised radio-frequency currents, whose frequency is equal to that of
the gyrotropic mode, will cause an excitation of the core of a magnetic vortex
confined in a magnetic tunnel junction. When the excitation radius of the
vortex core is greater than that of the junction radius, vortex core expulsion
is observed, leading to a large change in resistance, as the layer enters a
predominantly uniform magnetisation state. Unlike the conventional spin-torque
diode effect, this highly tunable resonant effect will generate a voltage which
does not decrease as a function of rf power, and has the potential to form the
basis of a new generation of tunable nanoscale radio-frequency detectors
Thermally nucleated magnetic reversal in CoFeB/MgO nanodots
Power consumption is the main limitation in the development of new high performance random access memory for portable electronic devices. Magnetic RAM (MRAM) with CoFeB/MgO based magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) is a promising candidate for reducing the power consumption given its non-volatile nature while achieving high performance. The dynamic properties and switching mechanisms of MTJs are critical to understanding device operation and to enable scaling of devices below 30 nm in diameter. Here we show that the magnetic reversal mechanism is incoherent and that the switching is thermally nucleated at device operating temperatures. Moreover, we find an intrinsic thermal switching field distribution arising on the sub-nanosecond time-scale even in the absence of size and anisotropy distributions or material defects. These features represent the characteristic signature of the dynamic properties in MTJs and give an intrinsic limit to reversal reliability in small magnetic nanodevices
Emergent Phenomena Induced by Spin-Orbit Coupling at Surfaces and Interfaces
Spin-orbit coupling (SOC) describes the relativistic interaction between the
spin and momentum degrees of freedom of electrons, and is central to the rich
phenomena observed in condensed matter systems. In recent years, new phases of
matter have emerged from the interplay between SOC and low dimensionality, such
as chiral spin textures and spin-polarized surface and interface states. These
low-dimensional SOC-based realizations are typically robust and can be
exploited at room temperature. Here we discuss SOC as a means of producing such
fundamentally new physical phenomena in thin films and heterostructures. We put
into context the technological promise of these material classes for developing
spin-based device applications at room temperature