Spin transfer torque driven higher-order propagating spin waves in nano-contact magnetic tunnel junctions.

Short wavelength exchange-dominated propagating spin waves will enable magnonic devices to operate at higher frequencies and higher data transmission rates. While giant magnetoresistance (GMR)-based magnetic nanocontacts are efficient injectors of propagating spin waves, the generated wavelengths are 2.6 times the nano-contact diameter, and the electrical signal strength remains too weak for applications. Here we demonstrate nano-contact-based spin wave generation in magnetic tunnel junctions and observe large-frequency steps consistent with the hitherto ignored possibility of second- and third-order propagating spin waves with wavelengths of 120 and 74 nm, i.e., much smaller than the 150-nm nanocontact. Mutual synchronization is also observed on all three propagating modes. These higher-order propagating spin waves will enable magnonic devices to operate at much higher frequencies and greatly increase their transmission rates and spin wave propagating lengths, both proportional to the much higher group velocity.

Spin-wave-beam driven synchronization of nanocontact spin-torque oscillators.

The synchronization of multiple nanocontact spin-torque oscillators (NC-STOs) is mediated by propagating spin waves (SWs). Although it has been shown that the Oersted field generated in the vicinity of the NC can dramatically alter the emission pattern of SWs, its role in the synchronization behaviour of multiple NCs has not been considered so far. Here we investigate the synchronization behaviour in multiple NC-STOs oriented either vertically or horizontally, with respect to the in-plane component of the external field. Synchronization is promoted (impeded) by the Oersted field landscape when the NCs are oriented vertically (horizontally) due to the highly anisotropic SW propagation. Not only is robust synchronization between two oscillators observed for separations larger than 1,000 nm, but synchronization of up to five oscillators, a new record, has been observed in the vertical array geometry. Furthermore, the synchronization can no longer be considered mutual in nature.

Dynamically stabilized magnetic skyrmions.

Magnetic skyrmions are topologically non-trivial spin textures that manifest themselves as quasiparticles in ferromagnetic thin films or noncentrosymmetric bulk materials. So far attention has focused on skyrmions stabilized either by the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) or by dipolar interaction, where in the latter case the excitations are known as bubble skyrmions. Here we demonstrate the existence of a dynamically stabilized skyrmion, which exists even when dipolar interactions and DMI are absent. We establish how such dynamic skyrmions can be nucleated, sustained and manipulated in an effectively lossless medium under a nanocontact. As quasiparticles, they can be transported between two nanocontacts in a nanowire, even in complete absence of DMI. Conversely, in the presence of DMI, we observe that the dynamical skyrmion experiences strong breathing. All of this points towards a wide range of skyrmion manipulation, which can be studied in a much wider class of materials than considered so far.

Spin torque-generated magnetic droplet solitons.

Dissipative solitons have been reported in a wide range of nonlinear systems, but the observation of their magnetic analog has been experimentally challenging. Using spin transfer torque underneath a nanocontact on a magnetic thin film with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA), we have observed the generation of dissipative magnetic droplet solitons and report on their rich dynamical properties. Micromagnetic simulations identify a wide range of automodulation frequencies, including droplet oscillatory motion, droplet "spinning," and droplet "breather" states. The droplet can be controlled by using both current and magnetic fields and is expected to have applications in spintronics, magnonics, and PMA-based domain-wall devices.

Strongly exchange coupled inverse ferrimagnetic soft/hard, Mn(x)Fe(3-x)O4/Fe(x)Mn(3-x)O4, core/shell heterostructured nanoparticles.

Inverted soft/hard, in contrast to conventional hard/soft, bi-magnetic core/shell nanoparticles of Mn(x)Fe(3-x)O(4)/Fe(x)Mn(3-x)O(4) with two different core sizes (7.5 and 11.5 nm) and fixed shell thickness (∼0.6 nm) have been synthesized. The structural characterization suggests that the particles have an interface with a graded composition. The magnetic characterization confirms the inverted soft/hard structure and evidences a strong exchange coupling between the core and the shell. Moreover, larger soft core sizes exhibit smaller coercivities and loop shifts, but larger blocking temperatures, as expected from spring-magnet or graded anisotropy structures. The results indicate that, similar to thin film systems, the magnetic properties of soft/hard core/shell nanoparticles can be fine tuned to match specific applications.

Fe3O4-LiMo3Se3 nanoparticle clusters as superparamagnetic nanocompasses.

A scaleable chemical approach to functional nanoscale analogues of the magnetic compasses in magnetotactic bacteria is described. LiMo(3)Se(3)-Fe(3)O(4) nanowire-nanoparticle composites were synthesized by a reaction of 3-iodopropionic acid treated LiMo(3)Se(3) nanowire bundles with oleic acid-stabilized Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles of 2.8, 5.3, and 12.5 nm size in tetrahydrofuran. Transmission electron micrographs show that the composite consists of Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles attached to the surfaces of the 4-6 nm thick nanowire bundles. UV/vis spectra reveal absorptions from the nanowire (506 nm) and magnetite components (280-450 nm), and IR spectra show characteristic bands for the propionic acid linkers and for the residual oleic acid ligands on the magnetite particles. In the presence of excess oleic acid, the nanocomposites undergo rapid disassembly, suggesting that Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles are bonded to nanowires via carboxylate groups from the linkers. Ultrasonication of a dispersion of the composite in THF produces individual LiMo(3)Se(3)-Fe(3)O(4) clusters, which are 340 +/- 107 nm long and 20 +/- 5 nm thick, depending on the sonication time and Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticle size. Field cooled and zero-field cooled magnetization measurements reveal that the blocking temperature (T(B) = 100 K) of the clusters with 5.3 nm Fe(3)O(4) is increased as compared to the free nanoparticles (T(B) = 30 K). Directional dipolar interactions in the clusters lead to magnetic anisotropy, which makes it possible to align the clusters in a magnetic field (900 Oe).

Synthesis and real-time magnetic manipulation of a biaxial superparamagnetic colloid.

Superparamagnetic colloidal plates were synthesized from tetrabutylammonium stabilized Ca(2)Nb(3)O(10) nanosheets and oleic acid-stabilized Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles. Modification with 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane produces amine-terminated Ca(2)Nb(3)O(10) with an amine concentration of 0.43 +/- 0.06 groups per Ca(2)Nb(3)O(10) unit as follows from spectroscopic quantification with trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid as a dye. Treatment of the modified sheets in THF/ethanol with 5.3 nm oleic acid-stabilized magnetite nanoparticles yields pseudo-2D assemblies that consist of 2 nm thick nanosheets decorated on both sides with a dense collection (9.3 +/- 0.5 x 10(3) particles per square micrometer per side) of magnetite particles. In noncoordinating or weakly coordinating solvents, these composite particles further aggregate into stacked aggregates with a mean edge length of 1.6 +/- 0.7 microm and a thickness of 79 +/- 30 nm. The colloidal plates were characterized by elemental analysis, X-ray powder diffraction, and infrared and UV/vis spectroscopy. SQUID measurements show that films of the aligned particles are superparamagnetic at room temperature. The magnetic hysteresis that is observed at 5 K reveals that the plates have a magnetic anisotropy with the easy axis in the plane of the plates and the hard axis perpendicular to it. Calculations show that the magnetic anisotropy is a direct consequence of the two-dimensional distribution of the magnetic nanoparticles on the sheets. Optical microscopy reveals that when suspended in ethanol or THF, the colloidal plates can be rotated in real time with a variable external magnetic field (200 Oe). Magnetic alignment of the particles in suspensions also produces asymmetric light scattering patterns and magnetic birefringence. These effects and the observed magneto-orientational properties make the biaxial colloids interesting as components in displays and as magnetic actuators.