arXiv subjects

Gerrit E. W. Bauer

Publications and source records attributed to Gerrit E. W. Bauer.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

arXiv2003

From Digital to Analogue Magnetoelectronics: Theory of Transport in Non-Collinear Magnetic Nanostructures

Magnetoelectronics is mainly digital, i.e. governed by up and down magnetizations. In contrast, analogue magnetoelectronics makes use of phenomena occuring for non-collinear magnetization configurations. Here we review theories which have recently been applied to the transport in non-collinear magnetic nanostructures in two and multiterminal structures, viz. random matrix and circuit theory. Both are not valid for highly transparent systems in a resistive environment like perpendicular metallic spin valves. The solution to this problem is a renormalization of the conventional and spin-mixing conductance parameters.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2003

Dynamic exchange coupling and Gilbert damping in magnetic multilayers

We theoretically study dynamic properties of thin ferromagnetic films in contact with normal metals. Moving magnetizations cause a flow of spins into adjacent conductors, which relax by spin flip, scatter back into the ferromagnet, or are absorbed by another ferromagnet. Relaxation of spins outside the moving magnetization enhances the overall damping of the magnetization dynamics in accordance with the Gilbert phenomenology. Transfer of spins between different ferromagnets by these nonequilibrium spin currents leads to a long-ranged dynamic exchange interaction and novel collective excitation modes. Our predictions agree well with recent ferromagnetic-resonance experiments on ultrathin magnetic films.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2002

Spin pumping and magnetization dynamics in metallic multilayers

We study the magnetization dynamics in thin ferromagnetic films and small ferromagnetic particles in contact with paramagnetic conductors. A moving magnetization vector causes \textquotedblleft pumping\textquotedblright of spins into adjacent nonmagnetic layers. This spin transfer affects the magnetization dynamics similar to the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert phenomenology. The additional Gilbert damping is significant for small ferromagnets, when the nonmagnetic layers efficiently relax the injected spins, but the effect is reduced when a spin accumulation build-up in the normal metal opposes the spin pumping. The damping enhancement is governed by (and, in turn, can be used to measure) the mixing conductance or spin-torque parameter of the ferromagnet--normal-metal interface. Our theoretical findings are confirmed by agreement with recent experiments in a variety of multilayer systems.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2002

Diffuse transport and spin accumulation in a Rashba two-dimensional electron gas

The Rashba Hamiltonian describes the splitting of the conduction band as a result of spin-orbit coupling in the presence of an asymmetric confinement potential and is commonly used to model the electronic structure of confined narrow-gap semiconductors. Due to the mixing of spin states some care has to be exercised in the calculation of transport properties. We derive the diffusive conductance tensor for a disordered two-dimensional electron gas with spin-orbit interaction and show that the applied bias induces a spin accumulation, but that the electric current is not spin-polarized.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2002

Enhanced Gilbert Damping in Thin Ferromagnetic Films

Using a scattering matrix approach, the precession of the magnetization of a ferromagnet is shown to transfer spins into adjacent normal metal layers. This ``pumping'' of spins slows down the precession corresponding to an enhanced Gilbert damping factor in the Landau-Lifshitz equation. The damping is expressed in terms of the scattering matrix of the ferromagnet-normal metal interface, which is accessible to model and first-principles calculations. Our estimates for permalloy thin films explain the trends observed in recent experiments.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2002

Spin-transfer in diffusive ferromagnet-normal metal systems with spin-flip scattering

The spin-transfer in biased disordered ferromagnet (F) - normal metal (N) systems is calculated by the diffusion equation. For F1-N2-F2 and N1-F1-N2-F2-N3 spin valves, the effect of spin-flip processes in the normal metal and ferromagnet parts are obtained analytically. Spin-flip in the center metal N2 reduces the spin-transfer, whereas spin-flip in the outer normal metals N1 and N3 can increase it by effectively enhancing the spin polarization of the device.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2002

Spin battery operated by ferromagnetic resonance

Precessing ferromagnets are predicted to inject a spin current into adjacent conductors via Ohmic contacts, irrespective of a conductance mismatch with, for example, doped semiconductors. This opens the way to create a pure spin source spin battery by the ferromagnetic resonance. We estimate the spin current and spin bias for different material combinations.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2002

Scattering theory of interface resistance in magnetic multilayers

The scattering theory of transport has to be applied with care in a diffuse environment. Here we discuss how the scattering matrices of heterointerfaces can be used to compute interface resistances of dirty magnetic multilayers. First principles calculations of these interface resistances agree well with experiments in the CPP (current perpendicular to the interface plane) configuration.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2002

Universal angular magnetoresistance and spin torque in ferromagnetic/normal metal hybrids

The electrical resistance of ferromagnetic/normal-metal (F/N) heterostructures depends on the nature of the junctions which may be tunnel barriers, point contacts, or intermetallic interfaces. For all junction types, the resistance of disordered F/N/F perpendicular spin valves as a function of the angle between magnetization vectors is shown to obey a simple universal law. The spin-current induced magnetization torque can be measured by the angular magnetoresistance of these spin valves. The results are generalized to arbitrary magnetoelectronic circuits.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2002

Amplitude coda of classical waves in disordered media

The propagation of classical waves in the presence of a disordered medium is studied. We consider wave pulses containing a broad range of frequencies in terms of the configurationally averaged Green function of the system. Damped oscillations in the time-dependent response trailing behind the direct arrival of the pulse (coda) are predicted, the periods of which are governed by the density of scatterers.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2001

Dynamics of classical wave scattering by small obstacles

A causality problem in the time-dependent scattering of classical waves from point scatterers is pointed out and analyzed. Based on an alternative model, the leading pole approximation of the exact scattering matrix of the square well potential, transparent expressions for the time and position dependent Green function in a disordered medium are derived.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2001

Theory of Angular Magnetoresistance in CPP spin valves

The resistance of CPP spin valve is a continuous function of the angle $θ$ between the magnetizations of both ferromagnets. We use the cicuit theory for non-collinear magnetoelectronics to compute the angular magnetoresistance of CPP spin valves taking the spin accumulation in the ferromagnetic layers into account.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2001

The Rashba Hamiltonian and electron transport

The Rashba Hamiltonian describes the splitting of the conduction band as a result of spin-orbit coupling in the presence of an external field and is commonly used to model the electronic structure of confined narrow-gap semiconductors. Due to the mixing of spin states some care has to be exercised in the calculation of transport properties. We derive the velocity operator for the Rashba-split conduction band and demonstrate that the transmission of an interface between a ferromagnet and a Rashba-split semiconductor does not depend on the magnetization direction, in contrast with previous assertions in the literature.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2001

Spin-Flip Transistor

The recently developed semiclassical theory for magnetoelectronic circuits is applied to a transistor-like device consisting of a normal metal island and three magnetic terminals. The electric current between source and drain can be controlled by the magnetization of a ``base'' reservoir up to distances of the order of the spin-flip diffusion length.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2000

Semiclassical Concepts in Magnetoelectronics

Semiclassical theories of electron and spin transport in metallic magnetic structures are reviewed with emphasis on the role of disorder and electronic band structures in the current perpendicular to the interface plane (CPP) transport configuration.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2000

Conductance modulation by spin precession in non-collinear ferromagnet-normal metal-ferromagnet systems

We study diffusive transport through ferromagnet - normal metal - ferromagnet (F-N-F) systems, with arbitrary but fixed magnetization directions of the ferromagnetic reservoirs and orientations of a magnetic field applied to the normal metal. For non-collinear configurations, the complex mixing conductance describes the transport of spins non-collinear to the magnetizations of the ferromagnetic reservoirs. When the imaginary part of the mixing conductance is different from zero, the total conductance of the system in the presence of a magnetic field can be asymmetric with respect to time reversal. The total conductance changes non-monotonically with the magnetic field strength for different magnetic configurations. This modulation of the conductance is due to the precession of the spin accumulation in the normal metal. The difference between the conductance of the parallel and antiparallel configurations can be either positive or negative as a function of the applied magnetic field. This effect should be best observable on Al single crystals attached to ferromagnetic electrodes by means of tunnel junctions or metallic contacts.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2000

Strong Effects of Weak Localization in Charge Density Wave/Normal Metal Hybrids

Collective transport through a multichannel disordered conductor in contact with charge-density-wave electrodes is theoretically investigated. The statistical distribution function of the threshold potential for charge-density wave sliding is calculated by random matrix theory. In the diffusive regime weak localization has a strong effect on the sliding motion.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2000

Spin-accumulation and Andreev-reflection in a mesoscopic ferromagnetic wire

The electron transport though ferromagnetic metal-superconducting hybrid devices is considered in the non-equilibrium Green's function formalism in the quasiclassical approximation. Attention if focused on the limit in which the exchange splitting in the ferromagnet is much larger than the superconducting energy gap. Transport properties are then governed by an interplay between spin-accumulation close to the interface and Andreev reflection at the interface. We find that the resistance can either be enhanced or lowered in comparison to the normal case and can have a non-monotonic temperature and voltage dependence. In the non-linear voltage regime electron heating effects may govern the transport properties, leading to qualitative different behaviour than in the absence of heating effects. Recent experimental results on the effect of the superconductor on the conductance of the ferromagnet can be understood by our results for the energy-dependent interface resistance together with effects of spin- accumulation without invoking long range pairing correlations in the ferromagnet.

cond-mat.supr-con↗