Reduced model for precessional switching of thin-film nanomagnets under the influence of spin torque

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-20-2016

Abstract

We study the magnetization dynamics of thin-film magnetic elements with in-plane magnetization subject to a spin current flowing perpendicular to the film plane. We derive a reduced partial differential equation for the in-plane magnetization angle in a weakly damped regime. We then apply this model to study the experimentally relevant problem of switching of an elliptical element when the spin polarization has a component perpendicular to the film plane, restricting the reduced model to a macrospin approximation. The macrospin ordinary differential equation is treated analytically as a weakly damped Hamiltonian system, and an orbit-averaging method is used to understand transitions in solution behaviors in terms of a discrete dynamical system. The predictions of our reduced model are compared to those of the full Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert-Slonczewski equation for a macrospin.

Identifier

84992046874 (Scopus)

Publication Title

Physical Review B

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.94.144425

e-ISSN

24699969

ISSN

24699950

Issue

14

Volume

94

Grant

1313687

Fund Ref

National Science Foundation

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