Possibility of exchange switching of the ferromagnetic-antiferromagnetic junctions

Abstract

The current flow is investigated in the structures consisting of a ferromagnetic metal (FM) an antiferromagnetic (AFM) conductor and a nonmagnetic metal that closes the electric circuit. In such a structure, the FM layer is characterized by a relatively strong anisotropy and fixed lattice spins and serves as the injector of spins into the AFM layer. In the presence of a relatively strong external magnetic field, the resulting magnetization is induced in the AFM layer and the magnitude of the magnetization can be controlled. It is demonstrated that the polarized current from the FM layer generates a torque and allows the exchange switching of the magnetization vector. The distinctive feature of the effect lies in the fact that the switching threshold with respect to current can be decreased by several orders of magnitude due to the dependence of the magnetization on the external field