Article (Scientific journals)
Unified Drift-Diffusion Theory for Transverse Spin Currents in Spin Valves, Domain Walls, and Other Textured Magnets
Petitjean, Cyril; Luc, David; Waintal, Xavier
2012In Physical Review Letters, 109 (11), p. 117204-5
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
 

Files


Full Text
Phys. Rev. Lett 2012 Petitjean.pdf
Publisher postprint (275.59 kB)
Request a copy

All documents in ORBi are protected by a user license.

Send to



Details



Abstract :
[en] Spins transverse to the magnetization of a ferromagnet only survive over a short distance. We develop a drift-diffusion approach that captures the main features of transverse spin effects in systems with arbitrary spin textures (e.g., vortices and domain walls) and generalizes the Valet-Fert theory. In addition to the standard characteristic lengths (mean free path for majority and minority electrons, and spin diffusion length), the theory introduces two length scales, the transverse spin coherence length l(perpendicular to) and the (Larmor) spin precession length l(L). We show how l(L) and l(perpendicular to) can be extracted from ab initio calculations or measured with giant magnetoresistance experiments. In long (adiabatic) domain walls, we provide an analytic formula that expresses the so-called "nonadiabatic" (or fieldlike) torque in terms of these length scales. However, this nonadiabatic torque is no longer a simple material parameter but depends on the actual spin texture: in thin (< 10 nm) domain walls, we observe very significant deviations from the adiabatic limit.
Disciplines :
Physics
Author, co-author :
Petitjean, Cyril ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de physique > Physique quantique statistique
Luc, David;  CEA INAC UJF Grenoble 1, SPSMS UMR E 9001, F-38054 Grenoble, France.
Waintal, Xavier;  CEA INAC UJF Grenoble 1, SPSMS UMR E 9001, F-38054 Grenoble, France.
Language :
English
Title :
Unified Drift-Diffusion Theory for Transverse Spin Currents in Spin Valves, Domain Walls, and Other Textured Magnets
Publication date :
2012
Journal title :
Physical Review Letters
ISSN :
0031-9007
eISSN :
1079-7114
Publisher :
Amer Physical Soc, College Pk, United States - Maryland
Volume :
109
Issue :
11
Pages :
117204-5
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Funders :
FP7 project STREP MACALO
Commentary :
Funding was provided by the FP7 project STREP MACALO. We thank T. Valet for very interesting discussions.
Available on ORBi :
since 04 December 2013

Statistics


Number of views
42 (1 by ULiège)
Number of downloads
0 (0 by ULiège)

Scopus citations®
 
45
Scopus citations®
without self-citations
41
OpenCitations
 
33

Bibliography


Similar publications



Contact ORBi