Chaos in Magnetic Nanocontact Vortex Oscillators.

We present an experimental study of spin-torque driven vortex self-oscillations in magnetic nanocontacts. We find that, above a certain threshold in applied currents, the vortex gyration around the nanocontact is modulated by relaxation oscillations, which involve periodic reversals of the vortex core. This modulation leads to the appearance of commensurate but also, more interestingly here, incommensurate states, which are characterized by devil's staircases in the modulation frequency.

Strain-controlled magnetic domain wall propagation in hybrid piezoelectric/ferromagnetic structures.

The control of magnetic order in nanoscale devices underpins many proposals for integrating spintronics concepts into conventional electronics. A key challenge lies in finding an energy-efficient means of control, as power dissipation remains an important factor limiting future miniaturization of integrated circuits. One promising approach involves magnetoelectric coupling in magnetostrictive/piezoelectric systems, where induced strains can bear directly on the magnetic anisotropy.

A compact model for magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) switched by thermally assisted Spin transfer torque (TAS + STT).

Thermally assisted spin transfer torque [TAS + STT] is a new switching approach for magnetic tunnel junction [MTJ] nanopillars that represents the best trade-off between data reliability, power efficiency and density. In this paper, we present a compact model for MTJ switched by this approach, which integrates a number of physical models such as temperature evaluation and STT dynamic switching models. Many experimental parameters are included directly to improve the simulation accuracy.

The emergence of spin electronics in data storage.

Electrons have a charge and a spin, but until recently these were considered separately. In classical electronics, charges are moved by electric fields to transmit information and are stored in a capacitor to save it. In magnetic recording, magnetic fields have been used to read or write the information stored on the magnetization, which 'measures' the local orientation of spins in ferromagnets.