Relaxation-free and inertial switching in synthetic antiferromagnets subject to super-resonant excitation

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates ultra-fast, low-power magnetic switching in synthetic antiferromagnets using picosecond magnetic field pulses, supported by simulations and analytical results, with potential benefits for magnetic memory devices.

Contribution

It introduces a method for relaxation-free and inertial switching in synthetic antiferromagnets driven by super-resonant excitation, supported by detailed micromagnetic simulations and analytical analysis.

Findings

Inertial and relaxation-free switching can be achieved in synthetic antiferromagnets.

Dynamic switching offers lower power consumption compared to single ferromagnetic particles.

Spin-wave excitation can reduce post-switching oscillations for device applications.

Abstract

Applications of magnetic memory devices greatly benefit from ultra-fast, low-power switching. Here we propose how this can be achieved efficiently in a nano-sized synthetic antiferromagnet by using perpendicular-to-the-plane picosecond-range magnetic field pulses. Our detailed micromagnetic simulations, supported by analytical results, yield the parameter space where inertial switching and relaxation-free switching can be achieved in the system. We furthermore discuss the advantages of dynamic switching in synthetic antiferromagnets and, specifically, their relatively low-power switching as compared to that in single ferromagnetic particles. Finally, we show how excitation of spin-waves in the system can be used to significantly reduce the post-switching spin oscillations for practical device geometries.