Switching induced by spin Hall effect in an in-plane magnetized ferromagnet with the easy axis parallel to the current

Abstract

Magnetization switching in a fine-structured ferromagnet of nanoscale by the spin-transfer torque excited via the spin Hall effect has attracted much attention because it enables us to manipulate the magnetization without directly applying current to the ferromagnet. However, the switching mechanism is still unclear in regard to the ferromagnet having an in-plane easy axis parallel to the current. Here, we develop an analytical theory of the magnetization switching in this type of ferromagnet, and reveal the threshold current formulas for a deterministic switching. It is clarified that the current should be in between a certain range determined by two threshold currents because the spin-transfer torque due to a large current outside the range brings the magnetization in an energetically unstable state, and causes magnetization precession around the hard axis.