Enhancing thermal stability of optimal magnetization reversal in nanoparticles

Abstract

Energy-efficient switching of nanoscale magnets requires the application of a time-varying magnetic field characterized by microwave frequency. At finite temperatures, even weak thermal fluctuations create perturbations in the magnetization that can accumulate in time, break the phase locking between the magnetization and the applied field, and eventually compromise magnetization switching. It is demonstrated here that the magnetization reversal is mostly disturbed by unstable perturbations arising in a certain domain of the configuration space of a nanomagnet. The instabilities can be suppressed and the probability of magnetization switching enhanced by applying an additional stimulus such as a weak longitudinal magnetic field that ensures bounded dynamics of the perturbations. Application of the stabilizing longitudinal field to a uniaxial nanomagnet makes it possible to reach a desired probability of magnetization switching even at elevated temperatures. The principle of suppressing instabilities provides a general approach to enhancing thermal stability of magnetization dynamics.