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Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 017201 (2003) [4 pages]

Phase Coherent Precessional Magnetization Reversal in Microscopic Spin Valve Elements

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H. W. Schumacher1,*, C. Chappert1, P. Crozat1, R. C. Sousa2, P. P. Freitas2, J. Miltat3, J. Fassbender4, and B. Hillebrands4
1Institut d’Electronique Fondamentale, UMR 8622, CNRS, Université Paris Sud, Bâtiment 220, 91405 Orsay, France
2Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores, Rua Alves Redol, 9, P-1000 Lisboa, Portugal
3Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, CNRS, Université Paris Sud, Bâtiment 510, 91405 Orsay, France
4Fachbereich Physik, Universität Kaiserslautern, Erwin-Schrödinger-Straße 56, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany

Received 3 June 2002; published 3 January 2003

See accompanying Physics Focus

We evidence multiple coherent precessional magnetization reversal in microscopic spin valves. Stable, reversible, and highly efficient magnetization switching is triggered by transverse field pulses as short as 140 ps with energies down to 15 pJ. At high fields a phase coherent reversal is found revealing periodic transitions from switching to nonswitching under variation of pulse parameters. At the low field limit the existence of a relaxation dominated regime is established allowing switching by pulse amplitudes below the quasistatic switching threshold.

© 2003 The American Physical Society

URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.90.017201
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevLett.90.017201
PACS:
75.60.Jk, 85.70.Kh

*Corresponding author.

Email address: schumach@ief.u-psud.fr

 
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