Temperature dependence of intrinsic switching current of a Co nanomagnet

Abstract

The temperature dependence of the switching current of a magnetic nanopillar is investigated from 10 to 290 K. According to the switching probability measurement with the pulsed current, and the differential resistance measurement with sweeping the dc current, the intrinsic switching currents increase with decreasing the temperature. Transport calculations show that this temperature dependence is closely related to the reduced spin accumulation and spin polarization of the electrical current at low temperatures, attributed to the varied transport parameters. The conclusion is in accordance with the temperature dependence of the resistance difference between antiparallel and parallel magnetic configurations. © 2006 American Institute of Physics.