Magnetization states driven by spin-transfer torque in spin-valve nanopillars in presence of four-fold magnetocrystalline anisotropy

Abstract In this work, the magnetization states under the spin-transfer switching effect are investigated in a nanopillar device composed of a half-metallic Heusler Co 1.5 F e 1.5 G e alloy with a four-fold in-plane magnetocrystalline anisotropy. A comparative study with a half-metallic Heusler alloy of Co 2 F e A l 0.5 S i 0.5 and a typical material of Fe is realized by numerically solving the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert (LLG) equation with the Spin-Transfer Torque (STT) contribution, using micromagnetic simulations. Our ultimate goal is to elucidate the origins of the intermediate state (IS) that occurs during magnetization switching by deeply examining the effects of magnetocrystalline anisotropy and shape anisotropy on the magnetization states through analyzing and comparing various switching processes. Our simulation results showed that the magnetization switching via a single-step under low current densities is possible at certain critical cross-sectional dimensions of the ellipse that are adjusted to increase the demagnetization field against the four-fold in-plane magnetocrystalline anisotropy. As well, we provided in this paper a set of appropriate geometric dimensions which allow the magnetization to reverse via a single-step by overcoming IS with minimal spin-polarized current densities.