Ab Initio Studies of the Spin-Transfer Torque in Tunnel Junctions

C. Heiliger and M. D. Stiles

Physical Review Letters 100(18), 186805 (2008).

Abstract:

We calculate the spin-transfer torque in Fe/MgO/Fe tunnel junctions and compare the results to those for all-metallic junctions. The spin-transfer torque is interfacial due to the half metallic nature of the Fe Δ1 states. For samples with typical interfacial roughness, the in-plane torque varies linearly with bias and the out-of-plane torque varies quadratically, both in quantitative agreement with experiment. For ideal samples, we predict that the out-of-plane component of the torque varies linearly with bias and oscillates as a function of the ferromagnetic layer thickness.




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