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Magnetic nano-oscillator driven by pure spin current

Nature Materials volume 11, pages 1028–1031 (2012)Cite this article

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Abstract

With the advent of pure-spin-current sources, spin-based electronic (spintronic) devices no longer require electrical charge transfer, opening new possibilities for both conducting and insulating spintronic systems1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9. Pure spin currents have been used to suppress noise caused by thermal fluctuations in magnetic nanodevices, amplify propagating magnetization waves, and to reduce the dynamic damping in magnetic films10,11,12,13,14. However, generation of coherent auto-oscillations by pure spin currents has not been achieved so far. Here we demonstrate the generation of single-mode coherent auto-oscillations in a device that combines local injection of a pure spin current with enhanced spin-wave radiation losses. Counterintuitively, radiation losses enable excitation of auto-oscillation, suppressing the nonlinear processes that prevent auto-oscillation by redistributing the energy between different modes12,15. Our devices exhibit auto-oscillations at moderate current densities, at a microwave frequency tunable over a wide range. These findings suggest a new route for the implementation of nanoscale microwave sources for next-generation integrated electronics.

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Figure 1: Experimental layout.
Figure 2: BLS characterization of the magnetization dynamics under the influence of spin current.
Figure 3: Spatial mapping of magnetization oscillations induced by the spin current.
Figure 4: Dependence of the auto-oscillation characteristics on the static magnetic field.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge support from Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, National Science Foundation of the USA, and the DARPA of the USA. We thank R. Schlesiger for the assistance in sample imaging.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Applied Physics and Center for Nonlinear Science, University of Muenster, 48149 Muenster, Germany

    Vladislav E. Demidov, Henning Ulrichs & Sergej O. Demokritov

  2. Department of Physics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA

    Sergei Urazhdin

  3. Department of Physics, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan 48309, USA

    Vasyl Tiberkevich & Andrei Slavin

  4. Institute of Material Physics, University of Muenster, 48149 Muenster, Germany

    Dietmar Baither & Guido Schmitz

Authors
  1. Vladislav E. Demidov
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  2. Sergei Urazhdin
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  3. Henning Ulrichs
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  4. Vasyl Tiberkevich
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  5. Andrei Slavin
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  6. Dietmar Baither
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  7. Guido Schmitz
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  8. Sergej O. Demokritov
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Contributions

V.E.D. and H.U. performed measurements and data analysis. S.U. designed and fabricated the samples and performed data analysis. V.T. and A.S. developed the theory. D.B. and G.S. performed the sample characterization. S.O.D. formulated the experimental approach and managed the project. All authors co-wrote the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Vladislav E. Demidov.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Demidov, V., Urazhdin, S., Ulrichs, H. et al. Magnetic nano-oscillator driven by pure spin current. Nature Mater 11, 1028–1031 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat3459

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