Current-induced magnetization reversal in SrRuO3

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates current-induced magnetization reversal in SrRuO3 thin films, showing it occurs above a temperature-dependent threshold and is not caused by heating or Oersted fields, suggesting a spin-wave instability mechanism.

Contribution

It provides experimental evidence of current-induced magnetization reversal in SrRuO3 and discusses the underlying spin-wave instability mechanism.

Findings

Magnetization reversal occurs above a temperature-dependent current threshold.

Reversal is not due to heating or Oersted fields.

Current pulses can reliably switch magnetization in SrRuO3.

Abstract

We inject current pulses into uniformly magnetized patterns of thin films of the itinerant ferromagnet SrRuO3, while monitoring the effective temperature of the patterns during the current injection. We gradually increase the amplitude of the pulses until magnetization reversal occurs. We observe magnetization reversal induced by current above a temperature-dependent threshold and show that this effect is not simply due to sample heating or Oersted fields. We discuss the applicability of the current-induced spin-wave instability scenario.