We observe magnetization dynamics induced by spin momentum transfer in the noise spectra of current perpendicular to the plane giant magnetoresistance spin valves. The dynamics are observable only for those combinations of current direction and magnetic configuration in which spin transfer acts to reorient the free layer magnetization away from the direction set by the net magnetic field. Detailed measurements as a function of magnetic configuration reveal an evolution of the noise spectra, going from a spectrum with a well-defined noise peak when the free layer is roughly collinear with the pinned layer to a spectrum dominated by f 1 noise when the free layer is in an orthogonal configuration. Finally, the amplitude of the corresponding resistance noise increases rapidly with increasing current until it saturates at a value that is a substantial fraction of the magnetoresistance between parallel and antiparallel states.
By combining pairs of ferromagnetic metals with the same or different signs of scattering anisotropies in ferromagnetic-nonmagnetic-ferromagnetic metal nanopillars, we independently invert just the magnetoresistance, just the direction of current-induced magnetization switching, or both together, at room temperature (295 K) and at 4.2 K. In all cases studied, the switching direction is correctly predicted from the net scattering anisotropy of the fixed ferromagnet, including both bulk and interfacial contributions.
We summarize our recent findings on how current-driven magnetization switching and magnetoresistance in nanofabricated magnetic multilayers are affected by varying the spin-scattering properties of the non-magnetic spacers, the relative orientations of the magnetic layers, and spin-dependent scattering properties of the interfaces and the bulk of the magnetic layers. We show how our data are explained in terms of current-dependent effective magnetic temperature.
From both theory and experiment, scattering of minority electrons is expected
to be weaker than scattering of majority electrons in both dilute Fe(Cr) alloys
and at Fe(Cr)/Cr interfaces. We show that Fe(Cr)/Cr/Fe(Cr) trilayer nanopillars
display a normal magnetoresistance--i.e., largest resistance at low magnetic
fields and smallest at high fields, but an inverted current-driven
switching--i.e., positive current flowing from the fixed to the reversing layer
switches the trilayer from higher to lower resistance, and negative current
switches it from lower to higher.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figs., accepted for J. Magn. Magn. Mat., MMM/Intermag
Conf. 200
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.