1. Spin-polarized current versus stray field in a perpendicularly magnetized superconducting spin switch.
- Author
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Singh, A., Sürgers, C., Hoffmann, R., Löhneysen, H. v., Ashworth, T. V., Pilet, N., and Hug, H. J.
- Subjects
LOW temperatures ,PROPERTIES of matter ,SUPERCONDUCTORS ,ANISOTROPY ,COBALT compounds ,FERROMAGNETIC materials - Abstract
In superconducting Co/Pt–Nb–Co/Pt multilayers with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, the superconducting transition temperature T
c is considerably higher in the parallel (P) orientation of the two Co/Pt magnetizations compared to the antiparallel (AP) orientation. Low temperature magnetic-force microscopy reveals that the individual ferromagnetic layers are uniformly magnetized in both configurations and do not exhibit a magnetic stray field arising from a multidomain state. We also demonstrate that the difference ΔTc =Tc P -Tc AP between both Tc values is enhanced at higher transport currents due to the increasing imbalance of spin-polarized charge carriers in the superconducting Nb layer. Hence, the spin switch can be controlled by the transport current in future superconducting devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2007
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