2007/11/28 by Christian Heiliger, M. D. Stiles · 143 citations
Materials Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Condensed matter physics #Ferromagnetism #Magnetic Properties and Applications #Magnetic field #Magnetic properties of thin films #Magnetization #Materials science #Physics #Plane (geometry) #Quantum mechanics #Spin (aerodynamics) #Spin-transfer torque #Thermodynamics #Torque #Tunnel magnetoresistance #ZnO doping and properties #cond-mat.mes-hall #cond-mat.mtrl-sci
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.100.186805
published in Physical Review Letters 100(18), 186805 (American Physical Society) · 5 pages, 4 figures
arxiv created 2007/11/28 · openalex publication_date 2008/05/06 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We calculate the spin-transfer torque in Fe/MgO/Fe tunnel junctions and compare the results with those for all-metallic junctions. The spin-transfer torque is interfacial due to the half-metallic nature of the Fe Delta1 states. For samples with typical interfacial roughness, the in-plane torque varies linearly with bias and the out-of-plane torque varies quadratically, both in quantitative agreement with experiment. For ideal samples, we predict that the out-of-plane component of the torque varies linearly with bias and oscillates as a function of the ferromagnetic layer thickness.