Abstract
We theoretically investigate the threshold current for thermally activated switching of a perpendicular magnet by spin-orbit spin torque. Based on the Fokker-Planck equation, we obtain an analytic expression of the switching current, in agreement with numerical result. We find that thermal energy barrier exhibits a quasi-linear dependence on the current, resulting in an almost linear dependence of switching current on the log-scaled current pulse-width even below 10 ns. This is in stark contrast to standard spin torque switching, where thermal energy barrier has a quadratic dependence on the current and the switching current rapidly increases at short pulses. Our results will serve as a guideline to design and interpret switching experiments based on spin-orbit spin torque.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Article number | 072413 |
Journal | Applied Physics Letters |
Volume | 104 |
Issue number | 7 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2014 Feb 17 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)