title: Minimum field strength in precessional magnetization reversal
abstract: Ultrafast magnetic field pulses as short as 2 picoseconds are able to reverse the magnetization in thin, in-plane, magnetized cobalt films. The field pulses are applied in the plane of the film, and their direction encompasses all angles with the magnetization. At a right angle to the magnetization, maximum torque is exerted on the spins. In this geometry, a precessional magnetization reversal can be triggered by fields as small as 184 kiloamperes per meter. Applications in future ultrafast magnetic recording schemes can be foreseen.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorium fur Festkorperphysik, ETH Zurich, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland. IBM Research Division, Zurich Research Laboratory, CH-8803 Ruschlikon, Switzerland. IBM Research Division, Almaden Research Center, 650 Harry Road, San Jose, CA.
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Back
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Allenspach
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Parkin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Weller
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Garwin
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Siegmann