Giant spin-valve effect in yttrium--ion garnet--aluminum structures

Abstract

The nature of resistive switching in structures of yttrium iron garnet-aluminum (YIG/Al) observed when the current direction is changed relative to the direction of YIG magnetization has been studied. It has been established that the effect observed when the magnetic field is rotated increases with an increase in the current passed through the structure and achieves 100 percent switching from the superconducting to the normal resistive state. The magnitude of the effect depends on geometric factors, namely, on the ratio of the lateral dimensions of the YIG plates. Modeling the configuration of the magnetostatic stray fields showed that the effect is partially determined by these fields. It has been established that the inversion of the current flowing through the structures also leads to a variation in their resistance. The effect reaches 20% near the temperature of superconducting transition. Keywords: magnetic dielectrics, superconductor, proximity effects, spin-orbit coupling, Zeeman field, spin-valve.