Spin-polarized Current Switching of Co/Cu/Py Pac-man type II Spin-valve

We investigated spin-polarized current switching of Pac-man type II (PM-II) nanoelements in Pac-man shaped nanoscale spin-valves (Co/Cu/Py) using micromagnetic simulations. The effects of slot angle and antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer were simulated to obtain optimum switching in less than 2 ns. At a critical slot angle of $105^\circ$, the lowest current density for anti-parallel to parallel (AP-P) switching was observed due to no vortex or antivortex formation during the magnetic reversal process. All other slot angles for AP-P formed a vortex or antivortex during the magnetization reversal process. Additionally, a vortex or anti-vortex formed for all slot angles for parallel to anti-parallel (P-AP) switching. The addition of an AFM layer caused the current density to decrease significantly for AP-P and P-AP at slot angles less than $90^\circ$. However, at slot angles greater than $90^\circ$, the current density tended to decrease by less amounts or actually increased slightly as shape anisotropy became more dominant. This allowed ultra-fast switching with 5.05 and $5.65{\times}10^8\;A/cm^2$ current densities for AP-P and P-AP, respectively, at a slot angle of $105^\circ$.