Perpendicular spin valves with ultra-thin ferromagnetic layers

Abstract

We address two finite size effects in perpendicular transport through magnetic multilayers. When the magnetic layer thickness in spin valves becomes of the order or smaller than the spin-flip diffusion length, structural asymmetries affect the transport properties. A magnetic layer with thickness approaching the magnetic coherence length becomes transparent for spin currents polarized perpendicular to the magnetization. We use the generalized magnetoelectronic circuit theory to investigate both effects on the angular magnetoresistance (aMR) and spin transfer torque. We analyze recent aMR experiments to determine the spin-flip diffusion length in the ferromagnet as well as the interface spin-mixing conductance and propose a method to measure the ferromagnetic coherence length.

18 mages 10 figures

References in corpus (1)

• Boltzmann Test of Slonczewski's Theory of Spin Transfer Torque

Cited by in corpus (17)

• Thermal Spin-Transfer Torques in Magnetoelectronic Devices
• Thermoelectric Effects in Magnetic Nanostructures
• Long spin coherence length and bulk-like spin-orbit torque in ferrimagnetic multilayers
• Current-driven ferromagnetic resonance, mechanical torques and rotary motion in magnetic nanostructures
• Theory of spin loss at metallic interfaces
• Dephasing of Transverse Spin Current in Ferrimagnetic Alloys
• Controllable Spin-Transfer Torque on an Antiferromagnet in a Dual Spin-Valve
• Dynamics of thin-film spin-flip transistors with perpendicular source-drain magnetizations
• Generalized magnetoelectronic circuit theory and spin relaxation at interfaces in magnetic multilayers
• Spin transparency for an interface of an ultrathin magnet within the spin dephasing length
• Comparison between thermal and current driven spin-transfer torque in nanopillar metallic spin valves
• Effect of ferromagnetic contacts on spin accumulation in an all-metallic lateral spin-valve system: Semiclassical spin drift-diffusion equations
• Angular momentum transfer torques in spin valves with perpendicular magnetization
• Tunable magnetoresistance in spin-orbit coupled graphene junctions
• Crossover between fast and slow excitation of magnetization by spin torque
• Spin-transfer torque in magnetic multilayer nanopillars
• Low-power Spin Valve Logic using Spin-transfer Torque with Automotion of Domain Walls