The time domain stability of microwave spin torque oscillators (STOs) has been investigated by systematic micromagnetic simulations. A model based on internal spin wave reflection at grain boundaries with reduced exchange coupling was implemented and used to study the oscillator under quasi-stable operating conditions. Telegraphic mode jumping between two operating frequencies (23.3 and 24.1 GHz) was observed in the time domain with characteristic dwell times in the range of 10-100 ns. The oscillating volume was shown to have a different shape at the distinct operating frequencies. The shape difference is governed by spin wave reflections at the grain boundaries. The resulting non-linear behavior of the oscillator was shown to be a collective effect of spin wave scattering at different locations within a few spin wavelengths from the nano-contact.

Spin torque nano-oscillators (STNO) represent a unique class of nano-scale microwave signal generators and offer a combination of intriguing properties, such as nano sized footprint, ultrafast modulation rates, and highly tunable microwave frequencies from 100 MHz to close to 100 GHz. However, their low output power and relatively high threshold current still limit their applicability and must be improved. In this study, we investigate the influence of the bottom Cu electrode thickness (t(Cu)) in nano-contact STNOs based on Co/Cu/NiFe GMR stacks and with nano-contact diameters ranging from 60 to 500 nm. Increasing t(Cu) from 10 to 70 nm results in a 40% reduction of the threshold current, an order of magnitude higher microwave output power, and close to two orders of magnitude better power conversion efficiency. Numerical simulations of the current distribution suggest that these dramatic improvements originate from a strongly reduced lateral current spread in the magneto-dynamically active region.

Spin torque nano-oscillators [1,2] (STNO) represent a unique class of nano-scale microwave signal generators where spin transfer torque [3-5] (STT) from a direct spin-polarized current drives and controls the auto-oscillation of the local free layer magnetization, which through its oscillating magnetoresistance transforms the direct current into a tunable microwave voltage.

Static and dynamic magnetic solitons play a critical role in applied nanomagnetism. Magnetic droplets, a type of non-topological dissipative soliton, can be nucleated and sustained in nanocontact spin-torque oscillators with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy free layers. Here, we perform a detailed experimental determination of the full droplet nucleation boundary in the current-field plane for a wide range of nanocontact sizes and demonstrate its excellent agreement with an analytical expression originating from a stability analysis. Our results reconcile recent contradicting reports of the field dependence of the droplet nucleation. Furthermore, our analytical model both highlights the relation between the fixed layer material and the droplet nucleation current magnitude, and provides an accurate method to experimentally determine the spin transfer torque asymmetry of each device.

The nano-contact spin torque oscillator (NC-STO) is an emerging device for highly tunable microwave frequency generation in the range from 0.1 GHz to above 65 GHz with an on-chip footprint on the scale of a few μm. The frequency is inherent to the magnetic material of the NC-STO and is excited by an electrical DC current by means of the spin torque transfer effect. Although the general operation is well understood, more detailed aspects such as a generally nonlinear frequency versus current relationship, mode-jumping and high device-to-device variability represent open questions. Further application-oriented questions are related to increasing the electrical output power through synchronization of multiple NC-STOs and integration with CMOS integrated circuits.

This thesis consists of an experimental part and a simulation part. Experimentally, for the frequency stability it is found that the slow but strong 1/f-type frequency fluctuations are related to the degree of nonlinearity and the presence of perturbing, unexcited modes. It is also found that the NC-STO can exhibit up to three propagating spin wave oscillation modes with different frequencies and can randomly jump between them. These findings were made possible through the development of a specialized microwave time-domain measurement circuit. Another instrumental achievement was made with synchrotron X-rays, where we image dynamically the magnetic internals of an operating NC-STO device and reveal a spin wave mode structure with a complexity significantly higher than the one predicted by the present theory.

In the simulations, we are able to reproduce the nonlinear current dependence by including spin wave-reflecting barriers in the nm-thick metallic, magnetic free layer. A physical model for the barriers is introduced in the form of metal grain boundaries with reduced magnetic exchange coupling. Using the experimentally measured average grain size of 30 nm, the spin wave mode structure resulting from the grain model is able to reproduce the experimentally found device nonlinearity and high device-to-device variability.

In conclusion, the results point out microscopic material grains in the metallic free layer as the reason behind the nonlinear frequency versus current behavior and multiple propagating spin wave modes and thereby as a source of device-to-device variability and frequency instability.

Dagens snabba utveckling inom informationsteknik drivs på av ständigt växande informationsmängder och deras samhällsanvändning inom allt från resursoptimering till underhållning. Utvecklingen möjliggörs till stor del hårdvarumässigt av miniatyrisering och integrering av elektroniska komponenter samt trådlös kommunikation med allt större bandbredd och högre överföringshastighet. Det senare uppnås främst genom utnyttjande av högre radiofrekvenser i teknologiskt tidigare oåtkomliga delar av spektrumet. Frekvensutnyttjandet har det senaste årtiondet ökat markant i mikrovågsområdet med typiska frekvenser runt 2.4 GHz och 5.2-5.8 GHz.

I den spinntroniska oscillatorn (STO:n) möjliggörs frekvensgenerering i det breda området från 0.1 GHz upp till över 65 GHz av en komponent med mikrometerstorlek som kan integreras direkt i CMOS-mikrochip. Till skillnad från i konventionella radiokretsar med oscillatorer konstruerade av integrerade transistorer och spolar, genereras mikrovågsfrekvensen direkt i STO:ns magnetiska material och omvandlas därefter till en elektrisk signal genom komponentens magnetoresistans. Dessa materialegenskaper möjliggör ett tillgängligt frekvensband med extrem bredd i en och samma STO, som därtill kan frekvensmoduleras direkt genom sin styrström och på så sätt förenklar konstruktionen av sändarsystem. STO:ns icke-linjära egenskaper kan potentiellt också användas för att i en och samma komponent blanda ned mottagna mikrovågssignaler och på så sätt förenkla konstruktionen även av mikrovågsmottagare.

STO:ns signalegenskaper bestäms av det magnetiska materialets fysik i form av magnetiseringsdynamik driven av elektriskt genererade spinnströmmar. I denna avhandling studeras denna dynamik experimentellt med särskilt fokus på frekvensstabiliteten i den hittills mest stabila STO-typen; nanokontakts-STO:n. Genom mätningar i tidsdomän av STO:ns elektriska signaler runt 25 GHz har frekvensstabiliteten funnits hänga samman med den typ av icke-linjärt beteende som också funnits vara utmärkande för tillverkningsvariationen i komponenterna. Mikroskopiska undersökningar av materialet visar att en trolig källa till denna variation är den magnetiska metallens uppbyggnad i form av korn i storleksordningen 30 nm, och datorsimuleringar av en sådan materialstruktur har visats kunna reproducera de experimentella resultaten. Därtill har en metod utvecklats för att med röntgenstrålning direkt mäta de små, magnetiska mikrovågsrörelserna i materialet. Denna röntgenteknik möjliggör detaljerade experimentella studier av magnetiseringsdynamiken och kan användas för att verifiera och vidareutveckla den existerande teorin för mikrovågsspinntronik.

Sammantaget förs STO-teknologin genom denna studie ett steg närmare sina tänkbara samhällsbreda tillämpningar inom snabb, trådlös kommunikation för massproducerade produkter med integrerad sensor- och datorfunktionalitet.

Magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) spin torque oscillators (STOs) have shown the potential to be used in a wide range of microwave and sensing applications. To evaluate the potential uses of MTJ STO technology in various applications, an analytical model that can capture MTJ STO's characteristics, while enabling system-and circuit-level designs, is of great importance. An analytical model based on macrospin approximation is necessary for these designs since it allows implementation in hardware description languages. This paper presents a new macrospin-based, comprehensive, and compact MTJ STO model, which can be used for various MTJ STOs to estimate the performance of MTJ STOs together with their application-specific integrated circuits. To adequately present the complete model, this paper is divided into two parts. In Part I, the analytical model is introduced and verified by comparing it against measured data of three different MTJ STOs, varying the angle and magnitude of the magnetic field, as well as the DC biasing current. The proposed analytical model is suitable for being implemented in Verilog-A and used for efficient simulations at device, circuit, and system levels. In Part II, the full Verilog-A implementation of the analytical model with accurate phase noise generation is presented and verified by simulations.

The rapid development of the magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) spin torque oscillator (STO) technology demands an analytical model to enable building MTJ STO-based circuits and systems so as to evaluate and utilize MTJ STOs in various applications. In Part I of this paper, an analytical model based on the macrospin approximation has been introduced and verified by comparing it with the measurements of three different MTJ STOs. In Part II, the full Verilog-A implementation of the proposed model is presented. To achieve a reliable model, an approach to reproducing the phase noise generated by the MTJ STO has been proposed and successfully employed. The implemented model yields a time domain signal, which retains the characteristics of operating frequency, linewidth, oscillation amplitude, and DC operating point, with respect to the magnetic field and applied DC current. The Verilog-A implementation is verified against the analytical model, providing equivalent device characteristics for the full range of biasing conditions. Furthermore, a system that includes an MTJ STO and CMOS RF circuits is simulated to validate the proposed model for system-and circuit-level designs. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed model opens the possibility to explore STO technology in a wide range of applications.

The prediction and realization of magnetic excitations driven by electrical currents via the spin transfer torque effect, enables novel magnetic nano-devices where spin-waves can be used to process and store information. The functional control of such devices relies on understanding the properties of non-linear spin-wave excitations. It has been demonstrated that spin waves can show both an itinerant character, but also appear as localized solitons. So far, it was assumed that localized solitons have essentially cylindrical, s−like symmetry. Using a newly developed high-sensitivity time-resolved magnetic x-ray microscopy, we instead observe the emergence of a novel localized soliton excitation with a nodal line, i.e. with p−like symmetry. Micromagnetic simulations identify the physical mechanism that controls the transition from s− to p−like solitons. Our results suggest a potential new pathway to design artificial atoms with tunable dynamical states using nanoscale magnetic devices.

This paper demonstrates the integration of giant magnetoresistance (GMR) spin torque oscillators (STO) with dedicated high frequency CMOS circuits. The wire-bonding-based integration approach is employed in this work, since it allows easy implementation, measurement and replacement. A GMR STO is wire-bonded to the dedicated CMOS integrated circuit (IC) mounted on a PCB, forming a (GMR STO + CMOS IC) pair. The GMR STO has a lateral size of 70 nm and more than an octave of tunability in the microwave frequency range. The proposed CMOS IC provides the necessary bias-tee for the GMR STO, as well as electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection and wideband amplification targeting high frequency GMR STO-based applications. It is implemented in a 65 nm CMOS process, offers a measured gain of 12 dB, while consuming only 14.3 mW and taking a total silicon area of 0.329 mm2. The measurement results show that the (GMR STO + CMOS IC) pair has a wide tunability range from 8 GHz to 16.5 GHz and improves the output power of the GMR STO by about 10 dB. This GMR STO-CMOS integration eliminates wave reflections during the signal transmission and therefore exhibits good potential for developing high frequency GMR STO-based applications, which combine the features of CMOS and STO technologies.

We review the recent experimental advancements in the realization and understanding of magnetic droplet solitons generated by spin transfer torque in orthogonal nanocontact based spin torque nanooscillators (STNOs) fabricated on extended spin valves and spin valve nanowires. The magnetic droplets are detected and studied using the STNO microwave signal and its resistance, the latter both quasistatically and time-resolved. The droplet nucleation current is found to have a minimum at intermediate magnetic field strengths and the nature of the nucleation changes gradually from a single sharp step well above this field, mode-hopping around the minimum, and continuous at low fields. The mode-hopping and continuous transitions are ascribed to droplet drift instability and re-nucleation at different time scales, which is corroborated by time-resolved measurements. We argue that the use of tilted anisotropy fixed layers could reduce the nucleation current further, move the nucleation current minimum to lower fields, and potentially remove the need for an applied magnetic field altogether. Finally, evidence of an edge mode droplet in a nanowire is presented.