403 research outputs found
Different steady states for spin currents in noncollinear multilayers
We find there are at least two different steady states for transport across
noncollinear magnetic multilayers. In the conventional one there is a
discontinuity in the spin current across the interfaces which has been
identified as the source of current induced magnetic reversal; in the one
advocated herein the spin torque arises from the spin accumulation transverse
to the magnetization of a magnetic layer. These two states have quite different
attributes which should be discerned by current experiments.Comment: 8 pages, no figure. Accepted for publication in Journal of Physics:
Condensed Matte
Spin accumulation induced resistance in mesoscopic ferromagnet/ superconductor junctions
We present a description of spin-polarized transport in mesoscopic
ferromagnet-superconductor (F/S) systems, where the transport is diffusive, and
the interfaces are transparent. It is shown that the spin reversal associated
with Andreev reflection generates an excess spin density close to the F/S
interface, which leads to a spin contact resistance. Expressions for the
contact resistance are given for two terminal and four terminal geometries. In
the latter the sign depends on the relative magnetization of the ferromagnetic
electrodes.Comment: RevTeX 10 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Phys.Rev. Let
Mechanisms of spin-polarized current-driven magnetization switching
The mechanisms of the magnetization switching of magnetic multilayers driven
by a current are studied by including exchange interaction between local
moments and spin accumulation of conduction electrons. It is found that this
exchange interaction leads to two additional terms in the
Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation: an effective field and a spin torque. Both
terms are proportional to the transverse spin accumulation and have comparable
magnitudes
Spin Bottlenecks in the Quantum Hall Regim
We present a theory of time-dependent tunneling between a metal and a
partially spin-polarized two-dimensional electron system (2DES). We find that
the leakage current which flows to screen an electric field between the metal
and the 2DES is the sum of two exponential contributions whose relative weights
depend on spin-dependent tunneling conductances, on quantum corrections to the
electrostatic capacitance of the tunnel junction, and on the rate at which the
2DES spin-polarization approaches equilibrium. For high-mobility and
homogeneous 2DES's at Landau level filling factor , we predict a ratio
of the fast and slow leakage rates equal to where is the number
of reversed spins in the skyrmionic elementary charged excitations.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let
Spin-accumulation in small ferromagnetic double barrier junctions
The non-equilibrium spin accumulation in ferromagnetic double barrier
junctions is shown to govern the transport in small structures. Transport
properties of such systems are described by a generalization of the theory of
the Coulomb blockade. The spin accumulation enhances the magnetoresistance. The
transient non-linear transport properties are predicted to provide a unique
experimental evidence of the spin-accumulation in the form of a reversed
current on time scales of the order of the spin-flip relaxation time.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, to appear in PR
Finite-element theory of transport in ferromagnet-normal metal systems
We formulate a theory of spin dependent transport of an electronic circuit
involving ferromagnetic elements with non-collinear magnetizations which is
based on the conservation of spin and charge current. The theory considerably
simplifies the calculation of the transport properties of complicated
ferromagnet-normal metal systems. We illustrate the theory by considering a
novel three terminal device.Comment: revised paper, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Let
Expression of Human α2-Adrenergic Receptors in Adipose Tissue of β3-Adrenergic Receptor-deficient Mice Promotes Diet-induced Obesity
Catecholamines play an important role in controlling white adipose tissue function and development. β- and α2-adrenergic receptors (ARs) couple positively and negatively, respectively, to adenylyl cyclase and are co-expressed in human adipocytes. Previous studies have demonstrated increased adipocyte α2/β-AR balance in obesity, and it has been proposed that increased α2-ARs in adipose tissue with or without decreased β-ARs may contribute mechanistically to the development of increased fat mass. To critically test this hypothesis, adipocyte α2/β-AR balance was genetically manipulated in mice. Human α2A-ARs were transgenically expressed in the adipose tissue of mice that were either homozygous (−/−) or heterozygous (+/−) for a disrupted β3-AR allele. Mice expressing α2-ARs in fat, in the absence of β3-ARs (β3-AR −/− background), developed high fat diet-induced obesity. Strikingly, this effect was due entirely to adipocyte hyperplasia and required the presence of α2-ARs, the absence of β3-ARs, and a high fat diet. Of note, obese α2-transgenic, β3 −/− mice failed to develop insulin resistance, which may reflect the fact that expanded fat mass was due to adipocyte hyperplasia and not adipocyte hypertrophy. In summary, we have demonstrated that increased α2/β-AR balance in adipocytes promotes obesity by stimulating adipocyte hyperplasia. This study also demonstrates one way in which two genes (α2 and β3-AR) and diet interact to influence fat mass
Crossed Andreev reflection at ferromagnetic domain walls
We investigate several factors controlling the physics of hybrid structures
involving ferromagnetic domain walls (DWs) and superconducting (S) metals. We
discuss the role of non collinear magnetizations in S/DW junctions in a spin
Nambu Keldysh formalism. We discuss transport in S/DW/N and
S/DW/S junctions in the presence of inelastic scattering in the domain wall. In
this case transport properties are similar for the S/DW/S and S/DW/N junctions
and are controlled by sequential tunneling of spatially separated Cooper pairs
across the domain wall. In the absence of inelastic scattering we find that a
Josephson current circulates only if the size of the ferromagnetic region is
smaller than the elastic mean free path meaning that the Josephson effect
associated to crossed Andreev reflection cannot be observed under usual
experimental conditions. Nevertheless a finite dc current can circulate across
the S/DW/S junction due to crossed Andreev reflection associated to sequential
tunneling.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figures, references added at the end of the introductio
Current induced switching of magnetic domains to a perpendicular configuration
In a ferromagnet--normal-metal--ferromagnet trilayer, a current flowing
perpendicularly to the layers creates a torque on the magnetic moments of the
ferromagnets. When one of the contacts is superconducting, the torque not only
favors parallel or antiparallel alignment of the magnetic moments, as is the
case for two normal contacts, but can also favor a configuration where the two
moments are perpendicular. In addition, whereas the conductance for parallel
and antiparallel magnetic moments is the same, signalling the absence of giant
magnetoresistance in the usual sense, the conductance is greater in the
perpendicular configuration. Thus, a negative magnetoconductance is predicted,
in contrast with the usual giant magnetoresistance.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, major rewriting of the technical par
Current driven switching of magnetic layers
The switching of magnetic layers is studied under the action of a spin
current in a ferromagnetic metal/non-magnetic metal/ferromagnetic metal spin
valve. We find that the main contribution to the switching comes from the
non-equilibrium exchange interaction between the ferromagnetic layers. This
interaction defines the magnetic configuration of the layers with minimum
energy and establishes the threshold for a critical switching current.
Depending on the direction of the critical current, the interaction changes
sign and a given magnetic configuration becomes unstable. To model the time
dependence of the switching process, we derive a set of coupled Landau-Lifshitz
equations for the ferromagnetic layers. Higher order terms in the
non-equilibrium exchange coupling allow the system to evolve to its
steady-state configuration.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figure. Submitted to Phys. Rev.
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