Overview

Non-Equilibrium Thermodynamics:
application to Spintronics and Magnetization Dynamics.
I) Non-equilibrium thermodynamics
• I-1– Derivation of the transport equations
• I-2 – Kinetic coupling: cross-coefficients or internal degrees of freedom
• I-3 – Onsager reciprocity relations
• I-4 – The Hall effect

II) Application to spin-dependent transport

• II-1 – Ohm’s law including Hall effect anisotropy in ferromagnets
• II-2 – Ohm’s law in the two spin-channel model
• II-3 – Giant magnetoresistance

III) Application to the kinetics of the magnetization

• III-1 – Equilibrium states. Introduction to nanomagnetism:
• III-2 – Derivation from non-equilibrium thermodynamics

IV) Cross-efffect between magnetization and the spins of the charge carriers

• IV-1 - Spin-transfer and Spin pumping effect. PATENT: Non-volatile random access
memory,
No. US 6172902 B1 (1999)

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 ag
e II M Transport in the configuration space 
r
e ctu de 18 Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation (LLG)
L Sli
(not to be confused with
Chemical potential: the magnetic moment) Onsager matrix of ferromagnetic transport coeficients

Power dissipated
Onsager reciprocity relations
Symmetric dissipation
Transport equations :

Effective Equivalence with LLG equation (see next slide) =>

magnetic field

Magnetization current
LLG equation

Landau-Lifshitz 1935 / Gilbert 1956 (spinning top) / Brown Jr. 1963 (stochastic)

02/14/23 PHY302 Wegrowe

2
 a r t2
r e IP 3 Transport in the configuration space
t u 2- 2
Lec lide 2
S
Chemical potential Chemical affinity of the
spin-flip reaction:
No charge
accumulation (n=0 )

reactant product

Extent of the reaction:

Ohm’s law:
G
Reaction rate:
Spin-flip scattering (= transport equation in the spin space )

Thermodynamic conjugate variables: : Onsager coefficent:

Supplementary power dissipated by spin-flip scattering :

Ohm’s law spin up Change of « basis »:

Ohm’s law spin down
Spin-relaxation

1D conductivity
assymetry

mean conductivity

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 Cross-effect between magnetization and
the spin of the conduction electrons
Spin-accumulation
Entropy production Ferromagnetic Spin-flip

of both the electric and

the magnetic systems

Onsager matrix s-d interaction or spin-orbit coupling: Joule

Introduction of the
cross-coefficients:
(+) « non-adiabatic »
(-) « adiabatic »

(Cornell Uni., PRL 2000)

Spin-transfer (non-adiabatic) After integrating over a volume Quasi-
static
PATENT:
Magnetic random access memory,
Wegrowe,et al 1999

- Cannot be seen in a ferro layer.

- - Hidden by CIP GMR in a N layer at N/F interface.
Reciprocal effect:
But,not in the Hall configuration (≠ spin-Hall)

« Spin-Pumping » and « Spin-Hall Magnetoresistance »

4
  Introducing spin-precession (angle ) :
Transverse spin-accumulation.
Effect of quasi-ballistic spin precession (in relation to the Hanle effect)

Third kind of « spin-pumping »!

« the current tranverse to the magnetization is absorbed » at the interface

(J. .Zhang et al PRL 93 (2004))

Without the ferromagnetic degrees of freedom:

-
Longitudial
-
and
-
tranvserse
spin-accumulation

Description of the Hanle effect still needed… But necessary for the spin-transfer description 5
 Longitudical and transverse Spin transfer

- Introduction of the
- cross-coefficients:
-

After integrating over a volume (see Section II)

spin transfer !
Helmoltz decomposition theorem :
Introducing two potentials (or two effecive fields)

Field-like torque Damping-like torque 6

J.-E. Wegrowe and H.-J. Drouhin, Entropy 13, 316 (2011)
 Longitudinal and transverse Spin-transfer

Field-like torque Damping-like torque

FMR generated by current injection: Hysteresis loop with current (instead of field)
Quasi-static

Activation with current (instead of heat):

SPINTEC, PRL 98, (2007)
R
… application to GHz generator (STO)
… application to MRAMs and MLUs
AMR (=80°)
H

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 Reciprocal effect: FMR-induced spin-current
or « Spin-pumping »

No electric generator!

-
-

Magnetization dynamics (FMR and

Magnetic field) generates spin-current (« spin-
pumping effect »)

(according to the discussion about stationary states

Or, if and in spin-Hall effect in Section II)

Magnetization dynamics (FMR and

Magnetic field) generates Spin-accumulation
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 Conclusion (« take home message »)

- Spintronics systems are complex= many degrees of freedom and

coupled transport equations.

- Two kinds of kinetic couplings : « adiabatic » and « non-adiabatic ».

- Relaxation mechanisms = chamical reaction (indirect coupling between sub-systems)

- Allows the huge number of « effects » in spintronics to be classified.

- Allows experimental results about non-equilibrium phenomena to be analysed.

“The law that entropy always increases holds, I think,

the supreme position among the laws of Nature.”

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