The free layer of a CPP-GMR spin valve with elliptical shape is switched back and forth by current-induced switching. The simulated structure consists of bottom and top metallic contacts, a 40 nm thick fixed magnetic layer, a 3 nm thick metallic spacer, and a 20 nm thick free magnetic layer. The spin valve is switched from the anti-parallel to the parallel state, then the voltage polarity is reversed to switch the spin valve back to the anti-parallel state. The spin torques are obtained from the 3D spin transport solver, with the N/F interfaces modelled using interface conductances (spin-up, spin-down and complex spin mixing conductance).
The z-direction spin current is displayed in the top, bottom contacts, and the spacer layer, whilst the magnetisation is shown in the fixed and free layers:
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S. Lepadatu, Scientific Reports 7, 12937 (2017) – supplementary material