Switchable Spiral Josephson junction: A superconducting spin-valve proposal

We propose a superconducting spin valve based on a Josephson junction with B20-family magnetic metal as barrier material. Our analysis shows that the states of this element can be switched by reorienting the intrinsic non-collinear magnetization of the spiral magnet. This reorientation modifies long-range spin-triplet correlations and thereby influences strongly the critical Josephson current. Compared to superconducting spin valves proposed earlier, our device has the following advantages: (i) it contains only one barrier layer, which makes it easier to fabricate and control; (ii) its ground state is stable, which prevents uncontrolled switching; (iii) it is compatible with devices of low-T Josephson electronics. This device may switch between two logical states which exhibit two different values of critical current, or its positive and negative value. I.e. 0-π switch is achievable on one simple Josephson junction.

VISUALIZING THE DISTRIBUTION OF SPIRAL MAGNETIZATION IN THE FERROMAGNETIC LAYER OF A SUPERCONDUCTING SPIN VALVE

In this paper, we investigate the switch of a magnet-based superconducting spin valve. As a magnet, we consider the MnSi compound characterized by a complex magnetic structure with its magnetization in the form of a spiral helicoid. A model is given for a double-layered superconducting spin valve based on the spiral magnet with an adjoining superconducting thin layer. As shown previously, critical temperature of such a superconducting film depends on the direction of the spiral magnet. Calculations have been performed for magnetic dynamics of this structure, which in prospect can serve as the basis for creating memory or logic elements of low temperature nanoelectronics. Several problems have been treated with regards to mathematical simulation of switching the spin valve magnetization, research on the spin valve structure using electromagnetic simulation software to change magnetization and rotation of the spiral magnetic vector under the magnetic-field pulse, construction and analysis of 3D magnetization distributions in spiral magnets to trace the process of remagnetization. In this work, we use a Matlab-based software environment and tools for constructing distribution plots of vector fields. It is shown that the direction of the spiral magnet can be switch by pulsed magnetic field. Research has been done on the resultant magnetization distributions visualized in the form of vector fields.

Сверхпроводящие спиновые вентили на основе спиральных магнетиков

—Structures with spiral antiferromagnets are proposed as superconducting memory elements. The first structure consists of one superconducting layer and one magnetic layer with a spiral magnetization. The latter is a Josephson junction with spiral magnet as a weak link. The schematic diagram of switching between logic states in proposed structures is described.