111 research outputs found
Correlation of the angular dependence of spin-transfer torque and giant magnetoresistance in the limit of diffusive transport in spin valves
Angular variation of giant magnetoresistance and spin-transfer torque in
metallic spin-valve heterostructures is analyzed theoretically in the limit of
diffusive transport. It is shown that the spin-transfer torque in asymmetric
spin valves can vanish in non-collinear magnetic configurations, and such a
non-standard behavior of the torque is generally associated with a
non-monotonic angular dependence of the giant magnetoresistance, with a global
minimum at a non-collinear magnetic configuration.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, BRIEF REPORT
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.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Nonlinear magnetotransport in dual spin valves
Recent experimental measurements of magnetoresistance in dual spin valves [A.
Aziz et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 237203 (2009)] reveal some nonlinear
features of transport, which have not been observed in other systems. We
propose a phenomenological model describing current-dependent resistance (and
giant magnetoresistance) in double spin valves. The model is based on a
modified Valet-Fert approach, and takes into account the dependence of
bulk/interface resistance and bulk/interface spin asymmetry parameters for the
central magnetic layer on spin accumulation, and consequently on charge
current. Such a nonlinear model accounts for recent experimental observations
Current-pulse-induced magnetic switching in standard and nonstandard spin-valves
Magnetization switching due to a current-pulse in symmetric and asymmetric
spin valves is studied theoretically within the macrospin model. The switching
process and the corresponding switching parameters are shown to depend
significantly on the pulse duration and also on the interplay of the torques
due to spin transfer and external magnetic field. This interplay leads to
peculiar features in the corresponding phase diagram. These features in
standard spin valves, where the spin transfer torque stabilizes one of the
magnetic configurations (either parallel or antiparallel) and destabilizes the
opposite one, differ from those in nonstandard (asymmetric) spin valves, where
both collinear configurations are stable for one current orientation and
unstable for the opposite one. Following this we propose a scheme of ultrafast
current-induced switching in nonstandard spin valves, based on a sequence of
two current pulses.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures; to be published in Phys. Rev.
Theory of spin-orbit coupling in bilayer graphene
Theory of spin-orbit coupling in bilayer graphene is presented. The
electronic band structure of the AB bilayer in the presence of spin-orbit
coupling and a transverse electric field is calculated from first-principles
using the linearized augmented plane wave method implemented in the WIEN2k
code. The first-principles results around the K points are fitted to a
tight-binding model. The main conclusion is that the spin-orbit effects in
bilayer graphene derive essentially from the single-layer spin-orbit coupling
which comes almost solely from the d orbitals. The intrinsic spin-orbit
splitting (anticrossing) around the K points is about 24\mu eV for the
low-energy valence and conduction bands, which are closest to the Fermi level,
similarly as in the single layer graphene. An applied transverse electric field
breaks space inversion symmetry and leads to an extrinsic (also called
Bychkov-Rashba) spin-orbit splitting. This splitting is usually linearly
proportional to the electric field. The peculiarity of graphene bilayer is that
the low-energy bands remain split by 24\mu eV independently of the applied
external field. The electric field, instead, opens a semiconducting band gap
separating these low-energy bands. The remaining two high-energy bands are
spin-split in proportion to the electric field; the proportionality coefficient
is given by the second intrinsic spin-orbit coupling, whose value is 20\mu eV.
All the band-structure effects and their spin splittings can be explained by
our tight-binding model, in which the spin-orbit Hamiltonian is derived from
symmetry considerations. The magnitudes of intra- and interlayer
couplings---their values are similar to the single-layer graphene ones---are
determined by fitting to first-principles results.Comment: 16 pages, 13 figures, 5 tables, typos corrected, published versio
Electron spin relaxation in graphene: the role of the substrate
Theory of the electron spin relaxation in graphene on the SiO substrate
is developed. Charged impurities and polar optical surface phonons in the
substrate induce an effective random Bychkov-Rashba-like spin-orbit coupling
field which leads to spin relaxation by the D'yakonov-Perel' mechanism.
Analytical estimates and Monte Carlo simulations show that the corresponding
spin relaxation times are between micro- to milliseconds, being only weakly
temperature dependent. It is also argued that the presence of adatoms on
graphene can lead to spin lifetimes shorter than nanoseconds.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
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