Spin switching: From quantum to quasiclassical approach

Abstract

In this paper, we review the theory of spin switching for systems of different sizes, from a quantum mechanical master equation approach for small atomic clusters to the quasiclassical description of spin dynamics by a stochastic Landau-Lifshits-Gilbert equation in metallic nanoscale magnetic systems. We present characteristic results emphasizing the role of the quantum character of spin at different scales. Comparing the quantum mechanical and the quasiclassical approach to spin switching, we draw analogies between the factors affecting quantum and classical spin dynamics. We analyze assumptions used in each approach and emphasize the limits of applicability of the quantum mechanical and of the quasiclassical descriptions.