arXiv subjects

Hitoshi Kubota

Publications and source records attributed to Hitoshi Kubota.

34 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2016

Instability analysis of spin torque oscillator with an in-plane magnetized free layer and a perpendicularly magnetized pinned layer

We study the theoretical conditions to excite a stable self-oscillation in a spin torque oscillator with an in-plane magnetized free layer and a perpendicularly magnetized pinned layer in the presence of magnetic field pointing in an arbitrary direction. The linearized Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert (LLG) equation is found to be inapplicable to evaluate the threshold between the stable and self-oscillation states because the critical current density estimated from the linearized equation is considerably larger than that found in the numerical simulation. We derive a theoretical formula of the threshold current density by focusing on the energy gain of the magnetization from the spin torque during a time shorter than a precession period. A good agreement between the derived formula and the numerical simulation is obtained. The condition to stabilize the out-of-plane self-oscillation above the threshold is also discussed.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2016

Twist in the bias-dependence of spin-torques in magnetic tunnel junctions

The spin-torque in magnetic tunnel junctions possesses two components that both depend on the applied voltage. Here, we develop a new method for the accurate extraction of this bias-dependence from experiments over large voltage ranges. We study several junctions with different magnetic layer structures of the top electrode. Our results obtained on junctions with symmetric CoFeB electrodes agree well with theoretical calculations. The bias-dependences of asymmetric samples, with top electrodes containing NiFe, however, are twisted compared to the quadratic form generally assumed. Our measurements reveal the complexity of spin-torque mechanisms at large bias.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2016

Magnetization switching by current and microwaves

We propose a theoretical model of magnetization switching in a ferromagnetic multilayer by both electric current and microwaves. The electric current gives a spin transfer torque on the magnetization, while the microwaves induce a precession of the magnetization around the initial state. Based on numerical simulation of the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert (LLG) equation, it is found that the switching current is significantly reduced compared with the switching caused solely by the spin transfer torque when the microwave frequency is in a certain range. We develop a theory of switching from the LLG equation averaged over a constant energy curve. It was found that the switching current should be classified into four regions, depending on the values of the microwave frequency. Based on the analysis, we derive an analytical formula of the optimized frequency minimizing the switching current, which is smaller than the ferromagnetic resonance frequency. We also derive an analytical formula of the minimized switching current. Both the optimized frequency and the minimized switching current decrease with increasing the amplitude of the microwave field. The results will be useful to achieve high thermal stability and low switching current in spin torque systems simultaneously.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2015

Increased magnetic damping of a single domain wall and adjacent magnetic domains detected by spin torque diode in a nanostripe

We use spin-torque resonance to probe simultaneously and separately the dynamics of a magnetic domain wall and of magnetic domains in a nanostripe magnetic tunnel junction. Thanks to the large associated resistance variations we are able to analyze quantitatively the resonant properties of these single nanoscale magnetic objects. In particular, we find that the magnetic damping of both domains and domain walls is doubled compared to the damping value of their host magnetic layer. We estimate the contributions to damping arising from dipolar couplings between the different layers in the junction and from the intralayer spin pumping effect. We find that they cannot explain the large damping enhancement that we observe. We conclude that the measured increased damping is intrinsic to large amplitudes excitations of spatially localized modes or solitons such as vibrating or propagating domain walls

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2015

Stable oscillation in spin torque oscillator excited by a small in-plane magnetic field

Theoretical conditions to excite self-oscillation in a spin torque oscillator consisting of a perpendicularly magnetized free layer and an in-plane magnetized pinned layer are investigated by analytically solving the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation. The analytical relation between the current and oscillation frequency is derived. It is found that a large amplitude oscillation can be excited by applying a small field pointing to the direction anti-parallel to the magnetization of the pinned layer. The validity of the analytical results is confirmed by comparing with numerical simulation, showing good agreement especially in a low current region.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2015

Large amplitude oscillation of magnetization in spin-torque oscillator stabilized by field-like torque

Oscillation frequency of spin torque oscillator with a perpendicularly magnetized free layer and an in-plane magnetized pinned layer is theoretically investigated by taking into account the field-like torque. It is shown that the field-like torque plays an important role in finding the balance between the energy supplied by the spin torque and the dissipation due to the damping, which results in a steady precession. The validity of the developed theory is confirmed by performing numerical simulations based on the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2014

Role of Magnetic Field in Self-Oscillation of Nanomagnet Excited by Spin Torque

The critical current of the self-oscillation of spin torque oscillator (STO) consisting of a perpendicularly magnetized free layer and an in-plane magnetized pinned layer was studied by solving the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert (LLG) equation. We found that the critical current diverged at certain field directions, indicating that the self-oscillation does not occur at these directions. It was also found that the sign of the critical current changed depending on the applied field direction.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2014

Nonlinear behavior and mode coupling in spin transfer nano-oscillators

By investigating thoroughly the tunable behavior of coupled modes, we highlight how it provides new means to handle the properties of spin transfer nano-oscillators. We first demonstrate that the main features of the microwave signal associated with coupled vortex dynamics i.e. frequency, spectral coherence, critical current, mode localization, depends drastically on the relative vortex core polarities. Secondly we report a large reduction of the nonlinear linewidth broadening obtained by changing the effective damping through the control of the core configuration. Such a level of control on the nonlinear behavior reinforces our choice to exploit the microwave properties of collective modes for applications of spintronic devices in novel generation of integrated telecommunication devices.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2014

Noise-enhanced synchronization of stochastic magnetic oscillators

We present an experimental study of phase-locking in a stochastic magnetic oscillator. The system comprises a magnetic tunnel junction with a superparamagnetic free layer, whose magnetization dynamics is driven with spin torques through an external periodic driving current. We show that synchronization of this stochastic oscillator to the input current is possible for current densities below $3 \times 10^6$ A/cm$^2$, and occurs for input frequencies lower than the natural mean frequency of the stochastic oscillator. We show that such injection-locking is robust and leads to a drastic reduction in the phase diffusion of the stochastic oscillator, despite the presence of a frequency mismatch between the oscillator and the excitation.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2014

Self-Oscillation in Spin Torque Oscillator Stabilized by Field-like Torque

The self-oscillation of the magnetization in a spin torque oscillator (STO) with a perpendicularly magnetized free layer and an in-plane magnetized pinned layer in the absence of an applied magnetic field was studied by numerically solving the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation. It was pointed out that field-like torque was necessary to realize stable self-oscillation in this type of STO at zero field. The numerical simulation at finite temperature showed that the presence of the field-like torque led to a high power with a relatively high oscillation frequency.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2013

Critical Field of Spin Torque Oscillator with Perpendicularly Magnetized Free Layer

The oscillation properties of a spin torque oscillator consisting of a perpendicularly magnetized free layer and an in-plane magnetized pinned layer are studied based on an analysis of the energy balance between spin torque and damping. The critical value of an external magnetic field applied normal to the film plane is found, below which the controllable range of the oscillation frequency by the current is suppressed. The value of the critical field depends on the magnetic anisotropy, the saturation magnetization, and the spin torque parameter.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2013

Time-resolved observation of fast domain-walls driven by vertical spin currents in short tracks

We present time-resolved measurements of the displacement of magnetic domain-walls (DWs) driven by vertical spin-polarized currents in track-shaped magnetic tunnel junctions. In these structures we observe very high DW velocities (600 m/s) at current densities below $10^7 A/cm^2$. We show that the efficient spin-transfer torque combined with a short propagation distance allows to avoid the Walker breakdown process, and achieve deterministic, reversible and fast ($\approx$ 1 ns) DW-mediated switching of magnetic tunnel junction elements, which is of great interest to the implementation of fast DW-based spintronic devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2013

Response to noise of a spin transfer vortex based nano-oscillator

We investigate experimentally and analytically the impact of thermal noise on the sustained gyrotropic mode of vortex magnetization in spin transfer nano-oscillators and its consequence on the linewidth broadening due to the different nonlinear contributions. Performing some time domain measurements, we are able to extract separately the phase noise and the amplitude noise at room temperature for several values of dc current and perpendicular field. For a theoretical description of the experiments, we extend the general model of nonlinear auto-oscillators to the case of vortex core dynamics and provide some analytical expressions of the response-to-noise of the system as the coupling coefficient between the phase and the amplitude of the vortex core dynamics due to the nonlinearities. From the analysis of our experimental results, we demonstrate the major role of the amplitude-to-phase noise conversion on the linewidth broadening, and propose some solutions to improve the spectral coherence of vortex based spin transfer nano-oscillators.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2013

Theoretical Study of Spin-Torque Oscillator with Perpendicularly Magnetized Free Layer

The magnetization dynamics of spin torque oscillator (STO) consisting of a perpendicularly magnetized free layer and an in-plane magnetized pinned layer was studied by solving the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation. We derived the analytical formula of the relation between the current and the oscillation frequency of the STO by analyzing the energy balance between the work done by the spin torque and the energy dissipation due to the damping. We also found that the field-like torque breaks the energy balance, and change the oscillation frequency.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2008

Spin-transfer switching and thermal stability in an FePt/Au/FePt nanopillar prepared by alternate monatomic layer deposition

We fabricated a current-perpendicular-to-plane giant magnetoresistance (CPP-GMR) nanopillar with a 1-nm-thick FePt free layer having perpendicular anisotropy using the alternate monatomic layer deposition method. Nanopillars consisting of [Fe (1 monolayer (ML))/Pt (1 ML)]n (n: the number of the alternation period) ferromagnetic layers and an Au spacer layer showed spin-transfer induced switching at room temperature.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2008

Bias-driven large power microwave emission from MgO-based tunnel magnetoresistance devices

Spin-momentum transfer between a spin-polarized current and a ferromagnetic layer can induce steady-state magnetization precession, and has recently been proposed as a working principle for ubiquitous radio-frequency devices for radar and telecommunication applications. However, to-date, the development of industrially attractive prototypes has been hampered by the inability to identify systems which can provide enough power. Here, we demonstrate that microwave signals with device-compatible output power levels can be generated from a single magnetic tunnel junction with a lateral size of 100 nm, seven orders of magnitude smaller than conventional radio-frequency oscillators. We find that in MgO magnetic tunnel junctions the perpendicular torque induced by the spin-polarized current on the local magnetization can reach 25% of the in-plane spin-torque term, while exhibiting a different bias-dependence. Both findings contrast with the results obtained on all-metallic structures - previously investigated -, reflecting the fundamentally different transport mechanisms in the two types of structures.

cond-mat.other↗