Direct observation of magnetization dynamics generated by nano-contact spin-torque vortex oscillators

Time-resolved scanning Kerr microscopy has been used to directly image the magnetization dynamics of nano-contact (NC) spin-torque vortex oscillators (STVOs) when phase-locked to an injected microwave (RF) current. The Kerr images reveal free layer magnetization dynamics that extend outside the NC footprint, where they cannot be detected electrically, but which are crucial to phase-lock STVOs that share common magnetic layers. For a single NC, dynamics were observed not only when the STVO frequency was fully locked to that of the RF current, but also for a partially locked state characterized by periodic changes in the core trajectory at the RF frequency. For a pair of NCs, images reveal the spatial character of dynamics that electrical measurements show to have enhanced amplitude and reduced linewidth. Insight gained from these images may improve understanding of the conditions required for mutual phase-locking of multiple STVOs, and hence enhanced microwave power emission.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure

Band-filling-controlled magnetism from transition metal intercalation in N1/3NbS2 revealed with first-principles calculations

We present a first-principles study of the effect of 3d transition metal intercalation on the magnetic properties of the 2H-NbS2 system, using spin-resolved density functional theory calculations to investigate the electronic structure of N1/3NbS2 (N=Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni). We are able to accurately determine the magnetic moments and crystal-field splitting, and find that the magnetic properties of the materials are determined by a mechanism based on filling rigid bands with electrons from the intercalant. We predict the dominant magnetic interaction of these materials by considering Fermi-surface topology, finding agreement with experiment where data are available

Supernovae as seen by off-center observers in a local void

Inhomogeneous universe models have been proposed as an alternative explanation for the apparent acceleration of the cosmic expansion that does not require dark energy. In the simplest class of inhomogeneous models, we live within a large, spherically symmetric void. Several studies have shown that such a model can be made consistent with many observations, in particular the redshift--luminosity distance relation for type Ia supernovae, provided that the void is of Gpc size and that we live close to the center. Such a scenario challenges the Copernican principle that we do not occupy a special place in the universe. We use the first-year Sloan Digital Sky Survey-II supernova search data set as well as the Constitution supernova data set to put constraints on the observer position in void models, using the fact that off-center observers will observe an anisotropic universe. We first show that a spherically symmetric void can give good fits to the supernova data for an on-center observer, but that the two data sets prefer very different voids. We then continue to show that the observer can be displaced at least fifteen percent of the void scale radius from the center and still give an acceptable fit to the supernova data. When combined with the observed dipole anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background however, we find that the data compells the observer to be located within about one percent of the void scale radius. Based on these results, we conclude that considerable fine-tuning of our position within the void is needed to fit the supernova data, strongly disfavouring the model from a Copernican principle point of view.Comment: 20 pages, 6 figures, matches the published versio

Effect of spacer material on the magnetic surface anisotropy in ultrathin Fe70B30 multilayer films

It has been found recently that the magnetic surface anisotropy Ks in Fe70B30/Ag multilayer films decreases monotonically with magnetic layer thickness (2L) for 2L<16.5 Å. In order to determine possible effects of the spacer material on the surface anisotropy in the aforementioned system, Ag has been replaced with Al2O3 and ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) measurements have been made on these films. These Fe70B30/Al2O3 films were fabricated by magnetron sputtering and were characterized by X-ray-diffraction and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) measurements in addition to FMR. In the region where Ks depends upon 2L, the data is insufficient to confirm the thickness dependence of Ks that was observed in Fe70B30/Ag, while in the region where Ks is independent of 2L, the values of Ks deduced for Fe70B30/Ag and Fe70B30/Al2O3 are in good agreement. The latter is particularly interesting in light of the enormous difference in conductivity between Ag and Al2O3

Crystallization of Ge2Sb2Te5 films by amplified femtosecond optical pulses

Copyright © 2012 American Institute of PhysicsThe phase transition between the amorphous and crystalline states of Ge2Sb2Te5 has been studied by exposure of thin films to series of 60 femtosecond (fs) amplified laser pulses. The analysis of microscope images of marks of tens of microns in size provide an opportunity to examine the effect of a continuous range of optical fluence. For a fixed number of pulses, the dependence of the area of the crystalline mark upon the fluence is well described by simple algebraic results that provide strong evidence that thermal transport within the sample is one-dimensional (vertical). The crystalline mark area was thus defined by the incident fs laser beam profile rather than by lateral heat diffusion, with a sharp transition between the crystalline and amorphous materials as confirmed from line scans of the microscope images. A simplified, one-dimensional model that accounts for optical absorption, thermal transport and thermally activated crystallization provides values of the optical reflectivity and mark area that are in very good quantitative agreement with the experimental data, further justifying the one-dimensional heat flow assumption. Typically, for fluences below the damage threshold, the crystalline mark has annular shape, with the fluence at the centre of the irradiated mark being sufficient to induce melting. The fluence at the centre of the mark was correlated with the melt depth from the thermal model to correctly predict the observed melt fluence thresholds and to explain the closure and persistence of the annular crystalline marks as functions of laser fluence and pulse number. A solid elliptical mark may be obtained for smaller fluences. The analysis of marks made by amplified fs pulses present a new and effective means of observing the crystallization dynamics of phase-change material at elevated temperatures near the melting point, which provided estimates of the growth velocity in the range 7-9 m/s. Furthermore, finer control over the crystallization process in phase-change media can be obtained by controlling the number of pulses which, along with the laser fluence, can be tailored to any medium stack with relaxed restrictions on the thermal properties of the layers in the stack

Avoiding selection bias in gravitational wave astronomy

When searching for gravitational waves in the data from ground-based gravitational wave detectors it is common to use a detection threshold to reduce the number of background events which are unlikely to be the signals of interest. However, imposing such a threshold will also discard some real signals with low amplitude, which can potentially bias any inferences drawn from the population of detected signals. We show how this selection bias is naturally avoided by using the full information from the search, considering both the selected data and our ignorance of the data that are thrown away, and considering all relevant signal and noise models. This approach produces unbiased estimates of parameters even in the presence of false alarms and incomplete data. This can be seen as an extension of previous methods into the high false rate regime where we are able to show that the quality of parameter inference can be optimised by lowering thresholds and increasing the false alarm rate.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figure

Spin dynamics in bulk MnNiGa and Mn1.4Pt0.9Pd0.1Sn investigated by muon spin relaxation

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Interacting agegraphic dark energy models in phase space

Agegraphic dark energy, has been recently proposed, based on the so-called Karolyhazy uncertainty relation, which arises from quantum mechanics together with general relativity. In the first part of the article we study the original agegraphic dark energy model by including the interaction between agegraphic dark energy and pressureless (dark) matter. The phase space analysis was made and the critical points were found, one of which is the attractor corresponding to an accelerated expanding Universe. Recent observations of near supernova show that the acceleration of Universe decreases. This phenomenon is called the transient acceleration. In the second part of Article we consider the 3-component Universe composed of a scalar field, interacting with the dark matter on the agegraphic dark energy background. We show that the transient acceleration appears in frame of such a model. The obtained results agree with the observations.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures, 2 table