The effect of thermal fluctuations on spin-transfer switching has been studied for a broad range of time scales (sub-ns to seconds) in a model system, a uniaxial thin film nanomagnet. The nanomagnet is incorporated into a spin-valve nanopillar, which is subject to spin-polarized current pulses of variable amplitude and duration. Two physical regimes are clearly distinguished: a long pulse duration regime, in which reversal occurs by spin-transfer assisted thermal activation over an energy barrier, and a short time large pulse amplitude regime, in which the switching probability is determined by the spin angular momentum in the current pulse.

Orthogonal spin-transfer magnetic random access memory ͑OST-MRAM͒ uses a spin-polarizing layer magnetized perpendicularly to a free layer to achieve large spin-transfer torques and ultrafast energy efficient switching. We have fabricated and studied OST-MRAM devices that incorporate a perpendicularly magnetized spin-polarizing layer and a magnetic tunnel junction, which consists of an in-plane magnetized free layer and synthetic antiferromagnetic reference layer. Reliable switching is observed at room temperature with 0.7 V amplitude pulses of 500 ps duration. The switching is bipolar, occurring for positive and negative polarity pulses, consistent with a precessional reversal mechanism, and requires an energy of less than 450 fJ.

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Spin-transfer switching with short current pulses has been studied in spin-valve nanopillars with perpendicularly magnetized free and reference layers. Magnetization switching with current pulses as short as 300 ps is demonstrated. The pulse amplitude needed to reverse the magnetization is shown to be inversely proportional to the pulse duration, consistent with a macrospin spin-transfer model. However, the pulse amplitude duration switching boundary depends on the applied field much more strongly than predicted by the zero temperature macrospin model. The results also demonstrate that there is an optimal pulse length that minimizes the energy required to reverse the magnetization.

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The spin-torque switching of metallic nanopillar spin-valves showing strong perpendicular anisotropy are studied. The magnetic states of the layers depend on extrinsic parameters such as the magnetic field and the DC current applied to the device. A state diagram presents a comprehensive graph the role of those parameters on the spin-valve magnetic response. After explaining how state diagrams can be built and the different possible representation, experimental state diagram are studied for perpendicular devices and the influence of lateral size, temperature and field orientation are shown. An analytical model of a purely uniaxial system is presented. It is shown that this simple model does not properly reflect the experimental results whereas if the symmetry is broken a qualitative agreement is obtained. Finally the possible origins of the symmetry break are discussed in the light of analytical model and numerical simulations.2

Spin-transfer devices that incorporate a polarizer with its magnetization orthogonal to a switchable (free) layer offer the potential for ultra-fast switching, low power consumption and reliable operation. The non-collinear magnetizations lead to large initial spin-transfer torques, eliminating the incubation delay seen in devices with collinear magnetization. Here we present the basic electrical and magnetic characteristics of spin-valve nanopillars that incorporate a perpendicularly magnetized polarizer and demonstrate current-induced switching with short current pulses, down to 100 ps in duration. We have fabricated devices that have a CoNi polarizer with perpendicular magnetization and an in-plane magnetized 3 nm thick Co free layer and a 12 nm thick Co reference layer, each separated by thin (∼ 10 nm) Cu layers. The magnetization of the reference layer is collinear with that of free layer to read out the device state. The reference layer also contributes to the spin-accumulation acting on the free layer and leads to a spin-torque that favors the parallel (P) or antiparallel (AP) state depending on the current pulse polarity, reducing the requirement of precise pulse timing in precessional reversal. The anisotropy field of the perpendicular polarizer is 1.3 T, i.e. it is high enough so that in-plane fields (< 0.3 T) applied to switch the magnetizations of the reference and free layers do not reorient the polarizer. Our typical nanopillar device lateral dimensions are between 60 nm and 300 nm and nanopillars are positioned on coplanar waveguides to allow for broadband electrical connections and studies with fast rise time pulses, generated by an arbitrary waveform generator. The switching probability has been determined for variable pulse amplitude and duration, from 0.1 to 10 ns at room temperature.

We present a two-current-pulse temporal correlation experiment to study the intrinsic subnanosecond nonequilibrium magnetic dynamics of a nanomagnet during and following a pulse excitation. This method is applied to a model spin-transfer system, a spin valve nanopillar with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. Two-pulses separated by a short delay (< 500 ps) are shown to lead to the same switching probability as a single pulse with a duration that depends on the delay. This demonstrates a remarkable symmetry between magnetic excitation and relaxation and provides a direct measurement of the magnetic relaxation time. The results are consistent with a simple finite temperature Fokker-Planck macrospin model of the dynamics, suggesting more coherent magnetization dynamics in this short time nonequilibrium limit than near equilibrium.