Deterministic switching of magnetization by chiral buckling

Abstract

The current-induced magnetization dynamics is an important subject in spintronics research. It contains many interesting physical phenomena and has a high potential for spintronic applications. Most magnetic memory devices are based on the magnetization switching operation. Thus, finding the switching mechanism, as well as the exact understanding of it, is an essential implement for spintronic devices. Here, we show that the current can switch the magnetization via chiral buckling. To destabilize the uniform magnetization, a critical current value is needed. The Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) produces a shift in this critical current and the sign of this shift also depends on the domain polarity. Thus, a certain current can select a certain domain polarity. During the switching process, a fluctuation of magnetization is exponentially amplified by the current that forms the magnetization buckling. We explain these phenomena by linear stability analysis and show that two distinct switching operations are possible depending on the DMI.