| Author(s): |
N Theodoropoulou; A Sharma; W Pratt; J. Bass; Mark D. Stiles; J Xiao; |
| Title: |
'Ballistic' vs. 'Diffusive' Transport in Current-Induced Magnetization Switching |
| Published: |
December 21, 2007 |
| Abstract: |
We test whether current-induced magnetization switching due to spin-transfer-torque in ferromagnetic/non-magnetic/ferromagnetic (F/N/F) trilayers changes significantly when scattering within the N-metal layers is changed from ballistic to diffusive. Here ballistic corresponds to a ratio r = λ/t = 3 for a Cu spacer layer, and diffusive to r = 0.4 for a CuGe alloy spacer layer, where λ is the mean-free-path in the N-layer of fixed thickness t = 10 nm. The average switching currents for the alloy spacer layer are only modestly larger than those for Cu. The best available model predicts a much greater sensitivity of the switching currents to diffuse scattering in the spacer layer than we see. |
| Citation: |
Physical Review B (Condensed Matter and Materials Physics) |
| Volume: |
76 |
| Issue: |
22 |
| Pages: |
4 pp. |
| Keywords: |
ballistic transport;Boltzmann equation;current-induced magnetization;diffusive transport;nanopillar;spin-transfer torque;spin-valve |
| Research Areas: |
Nanomagnetics |
| PDF version: |
 Click here to retrieve PDF version of paper (242KB) |
