Energy Barriers for Thermally Activated Magnetization Reversal in Perpendicularly Magnetized Nanodisks in a Transverse Field

• Thermally-induced transitions between bistable magnetic states of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJ) are of interest for generating random bitstreams and for applications in stochastic computing. An applied field transverse to the easy axis of a perpendicularly magnetized MTJ (pMTJ) can lower the energy barrier (Eb) to these transitions leading to faster fluctuations. In this study, we present analytical and numerical calculations of Eb considering both coherent (macrospin) reversal and non-uniform wall-mediated magnetization reversal for a selection of nanodisk diameters and applied fields. Non-uniform reversal processes dominate for larger diameters, and our numerical calculations of Eb using the String method show that the transition state has a sigmoidal magnetization profile. The latter can be described with an analytical expression that depends on only one spatial dimension, parallel to the applied field, which is also the preferred direction of profile motion during reversal. Our results provide nanodisk energy barriers as a function of the transverse field, nanodisk diameter, and material characteristics, which are useful for designing stochastic bitstreams.

Ämnesord

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Nanoteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Nano-technology (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Den kondenserade materiens fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Condensed Matter Physics (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

pMTJ

stochastic magnetization dynamics

micromagnetic modeling

Informations- och kommunikationsteknik

Information and Communication Technology

Material and Nano Physics

Material- och nanofysik

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

ovr (ämneskategori)