Modulation of interfacial magnetic relaxation timeframes by partially uncoupled exchange bias

A set of partially uncoupled NiFe/Cu/IrMn exchange biased thin films with variable thickness of non-magnetic Cu spacer is characterized by ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) and Brillouin light scattering (BLS) techniques applied complementary to reveal time-scale dependent effects of uncoupling between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic layers on high-frequency magnetization dynamics. The results correlate with interfacial grain texture variations and static magnetization behavior. Two types of crystalline phases with correlated microwave response are revealed at the ferro-antiferromagnet interface in NiFe/Cu/IrMn thin films. The first phase forms as well-textured NiFe/IrMn grains with NiFe (111)/IrMn (111) interface. The second phase consists of amorphous NiFe/IrMn grains. Intercalation of NiFe/IrMn by Cu clusters results in relaxation of tensile strains at the NiFe/IrMn interface leading to larger size of grains in both the NiFe and IrMn layers. The contributions of well-textured and amorphous grains to the high-frequency magnetization reversal behavior are distinguished by FMR and BLS techniques. Generation of a spin-wave mode is revealed in the well-textured phase, whereas microwave response of the amorphous phase is found to originate from magnetization rotation dominated by a rotatable magnetic anisotropy term. Under fixed FMR frequency, the increase of Cu thickness results in higher magnetization rotation frequencies in the amorphous grains.

Parametric excitation and mode control using an Oersted field in a NiFe nanowire

Parametric pumping is a nonlinear wave phenomenon and a promising technique for electronic devices based on spin waves, so-called “magnonics”. For parametric excitation, a magnetic nanowire system that has a built-in dc current line to produce an Oersted field is designed, and for spin wave detection, a micro-Brillouin light scattering (μ-BLS) system is used. A spin wave with a frequency of fsw = 5.6 GHz is observed when a pumping microwave with a frequency of fmw = 11.2 GHz is applied. The wave is found to be of the n = 1 width mode (n is the antinode number), and its mode changes to an edge-localized (or possibly n > 1) mode when the Oersted field (or current) varies. Joule heating effects are not observed in the pumping process. Thus, spin wave mode control by the built-in current would be a convenient and useful method to enhance the efficiency and compatibility in applications of spin-based electronics.

Parametric Excitation and Mode Control Using an Oersted Field in a NiFe Nanowire

Parametric pumping is a nonlinear wave phenomenon and a promising technique for electronic devices based on spin waves, so-called “magnonics”. For parametric excitation, a magnetic nanowire system that has a built-in dc current line to produce an Oersted field is designed, and for spin wave detection, a micro-Brillouin light scattering (μ-BLS) system is used. A spin wave with a frequency of fsw = 5.6 GHz is observed when a pumping microwave with a frequency of fmw = 11.2 GHz is applied. The wave is found to be of the n = 1 width mode (n is the antinode number), and its mode changes to an edge-localized (or possibly n > 1) mode when the Oersted field (or current) varies. Joule heating effects are not observed in the pumping process. Thus, spin wave mode control by the built-in current would be a convenient and useful method to enhance the efficiency and compatibility in applications of spin-based electronics.

Interplay of Linear and Nonlinear Localization Mechanisms in Spin-Torque Oscillators with a Field Well

The magnetization dynamics in a spin-torque oscillator with nonuniform profile of a static magnetic field creating a field well is studied by analytic calculations and numerical simulations. It is demonstrated that, in the case of sufficiently deep and narrow field well, the linear localization in the field well dominates the nonlinear self-localization, despite a negative nonlinear frequency shift. A change of the localization mechanism results in a qualitatively different dependence of the generation power on the driving current. For the dominant linear localization, the soft generation mode is realized, while, for the nonlinear self-localization, we observe a hard mode of auto-oscillator excitation. Simultaneously, a difference in the profiles of the excited spin-wave mode can become evident and distinguishable in experiments only in the case of a nonsymmetric field well.

Modified High Frequency Radial Spin Wave Mode Spectrum in a Chirality-Controlled Nanopillar

Circular magnetic spin valve nanopillars in a dual vortex configuration have dynamic characteristics strongly dependent on the interlayer dipole coupling. We report here on frequency domain properties of such nanopillars obtained by micromagnetic simulations. After the free layer is chirality switched with spin transfer torque, a radial spin wave eigenmode spectrum forms in the free layer with unusually large edge amplitude. The structure of these modes indicate a departure from the magnetostatic processes typically observed experimentally and treated analytically in low aspect ratio isolated disks. Our findings give new details of dynamic chirality control and relxation in nanopillars and raise potential signatures for experiments.