English

Spin pumping and magnetization dynamics in metallic multilayers

Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics 2009-11-07 v2

Abstract

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.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.cond-mat/0208091,
  title  = {Spin pumping and magnetization dynamics in metallic multilayers},
  author = {Yaroslav Tserkovnyak and Arne Brataas and Gerrit E. W. Bauer},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/0208091},
  year   = {2009}
}

Comments

10 pages, 6 figures