Current-Pulse-Induced Switching οf Asymmetric Spin Valves

Abstract

Dynamical behavior of an asymmetric spin valve, Co/Cu/Py nanopillar sandwiched between Cu electrodes, subject to a spin-polarized current was investigated in the diffusive transport regime. Using numerical macrospin simulations, the dynamical diagrams of the sensing layer were constructed, and the possibilities of switching from one collinear state to the other were discussed. A simple switching scheme for asymmetric spin valves, based on a sequence of current and magnetic field pulses, was proposed and illustrated on an example.