Current and Spin-Torque in Double Tunnel Barrier Ferromagnet - Superconductor - Ferromagnet Systems

We calculate the current and the spin-torque in small symmetric double tunnel barrier ferromagnet - superconductor - ferromagnet (F-S-F) systems. Spin-accumulation on the superconductor governs the transport properties when the spin-flip relaxation time is longer than the transport dwell time. In the elastic transport regime, it is demonstrated that the relative change in the current (spin-torque) for F-S-F systems equals the relative change in the current (spin-torque) for F-N-F systems upon changing the relative magnetization direction of the two ferromagnets. This differs from the results in the inelastic transport regime where spin-accumulation suppresses the superconducting gap and dramatically changes the magnetoresistance [S. Takahashi, H. Imamura, and S. Maekawa, Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, 3911 (1999)]. The experimental relevance of the elastic and inelastic transport regimes, respectively, as well as the reasons for the change in the transport properties are discussed.Comment: 7 page

Spin pumping and magnetization dynamics in metallic multilayers

We study the magnetization dynamics in thin ferromagnetic films and small ferromagnetic particles in contact with paramagnetic conductors. A moving magnetization vector causes \textquotedblleft pumping\textquotedblright of spins into adjacent nonmagnetic layers. This spin transfer affects the magnetization dynamics similar to the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert phenomenology. The additional Gilbert damping is significant for small ferromagnets, when the nonmagnetic layers efficiently relax the injected spins, but the effect is reduced when a spin accumulation build-up in the normal metal opposes the spin pumping. The damping enhancement is governed by (and, in turn, can be used to measure) the mixing conductance or spin-torque parameter of the ferromagnet--normal-metal interface. Our theoretical findings are confirmed by agreement with recent experiments in a variety of multilayer systems.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figure

Effect of plasma surface interactions on PLT plasma parameters

This paper gives a brief description of the geometry and parameters of the PLT tokamak, reviews some of the last four years' results that are particularly relevant to plasma-boundary interactions, and then concentrates on two specific problems

Observations of changes in residual gas and surface composition with discharge cleaning in PLT

Hydrogen discharge cleaning of the PLT vacuum vessel has been studied by mass spectroscopy of desorbed gases and surface analysis of exposed samples. Several modes of vessel conditioning have been studied to date: (1) a high power discharge cleaning (PDC) mode, with a peak power density to the vessel wall P/sub s/ approximately 0.6 w/cm/sup 2/ and a peak electron temperature T/sub e/ approximately 100 ev; (2) low power (Taylor-type) discharge cleaning (TDC) with P/sub s/ approximately 0.05 w/cm/sup 2/ and T/sub e/ equal to or less than 5 eV. The predominant residual gases produced during PDC are CH/sub 4/ (1-5 x 10/sup -6/ torr) and CO (1-10 x 10/sup -7/ torr), whereas TDC produced primarily H/sub 2/O (1-2 x 10/sup -6/ torr) and CH/sub 4/ (1-10 x 10/sup -7/ torr). In situ surface analysis of hydrocarbon-covered stainless steel has shown significant decreases in carbon coverage occurring after 10/sup 3/-10/sup 4/ pulses of either cleaning mode. Observed changes in oxygen coverage are more difficult to interpret because of the presence of the nascent oxide layer on the stainless steel substrates