Switching speed distribution of spin-torque-induced magnetic reversal

Abstract

The switching probability of a single-domain ferromagnet under spin-current excitation is evaluated using the Fokker-Planck equation(FPE). In the case of uniaxial anisotropy, the FPE reduces to an ordinary differential equation in which the lowest eigenvalue $\lambda_1$ determines the slowest switching events. We have calculated $\lambda_1$ by using both analytical and numerical methods. It is found that the previous model based on thermally distributed initial magnetization states \cite{Sun1} can be accurately justified in some useful limiting conditions.