Theory of current-driven magnetization dynamics in inhomogeneous ferromagnets

Abstract

We give a brief account of recent developments in the theoretical understanding of the interaction between electric currents and inhomogeneous ferromagnetic order parameters. We start by discussing the physical origin of the spin torques responsible for this interaction and construct a phenomenological description. We then consider the electric current-induced ferromagnetic instability and domain-wall motion. Finally, we present a microscopic justification of the phenomenological description of current-driven magnetization dynamics, with particular emphasis on the dissipative terms, the so-called Gilbert damping $\alpha$ and the $\beta$ component of the adiabatic current-driven torque.

25 pages, 2 figures. Will appear in "Current Perspectives" on spin-transfer torque phenomena (edited by Dan Ralph and Mark Stiles), to be published in Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials

References in corpus (7)

• Identification of the dominant precession damping mechanism in Fe, Co, and Ni by first-principles calculations
• Microscopic Calculation of Spin Torques in Disordered Ferromagnets
• Functional Keldysh Theory of Spin Torques
• Thermally-Assisted Current-Driven Domain Wall Motion
• Adiabatic Domain Wall Motion and Landau-Lifshitz Damping
• Gauge Field Formulation of Adiabatic Spin Torques
• Gilbert damping and spin Coulomb drag in a magnetized electron liquid with spin-orbit interaction

Cited by in corpus (9)

• High domain wall velocities induced by current in ultrathin Pt/Co/AlOx wires with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy
• Electron Transport Driven by Nonequilibrium Magnetic Textures
• Inhomogeneous Gilbert damping from impurities and electron-electron interactions
• Thermoelectric spin transfer in textured magnets
• Effects of non-adiabaticity on the voltage generated by a moving domain wall
• Intrinsic Coupling between Current and Domain Wall Motion in (Ga,Mn)As
• Spin-Torque-Induced Rotational Dynamics of a Magnetic Vortex Dipole
• Theory of spin magnetohydrodynamics
• Non-equilibrium thermodynamic study of magnetization dynamics in the presence of spin-transfer torque