Precessional switching of submicrometer spin valves

Small spin valves are switched using a subnanosecond field pulse applied along the magnetization hard axis. The measured probability for switching due to pulsed hard-axis fields increases as the duration is decreased from 325 to 230 ps. This indicates a large-angle precessional motion in response to the transverse applied field. The behavior is modeled with a single-domain, Landau-Lifshitz simulation. Switching in this manner requires only single-polarity transverse pulses that toggle the state of magnetic devices. This process consumes less energy than traditional quasi-static switching using long-duration field pulses along both directions.