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Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 017204 (2003) [4 pages]

Quasiballistic Magnetization Reversal

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H. W. Schumacher1,*, C. Chappert1, R. C. Sousa2, P. P. Freitas2, and J. Miltat3
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, UMR 8502, CNRS, Université Paris Sud, Bâtiment 510, 91405 Orsay, France

Received 23 July 2002; published 8 January 2003

See accompanying Physics Focus

We demonstrate a quasiballistic switching of the magnetization in a microscopic magnetoresistive memory cell. By means of time resolved magnetotransport, we follow the large angle precession of the free layer magnetization of a spin valve cell upon application of transverse magnetic field pulses. Stopping the field pulse after a 180° precession rotation leads to magnetization reversal with reversal times as short as 165 ps. This switching mode represents the fundamental ultrafast limit of field induced magnetization reversal.

© 2003 The American Physical Society

URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.90.017204
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevLett.90.017204
PACS:
75.60.Jk, 85.70.Kh

*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

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

 
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