Jean-Pierre Gauyacq, Simeon Moises Yaro, Xavier Cartoixa, Nicolas Lorente
The controlled switching between two quasi-stable Neel states in adsorbed anti-ferromagnetic Fe chains has recently been achieved by Loth et al [Science 335, 196 (2012)]. In order to rationalize their data, we evaluate the rate of tunneling electron-induced switching between the N\'eel states. Good agreement is found with the experiment permitting us to identify three switching mechanisms: (i) low-bias direct electron-induced transitions, (ii) intermediate-bias switching via spin-wave-like excitation, and (iii) high-bias transitions mediated by domain wall formation. Spin correlations in the anti-ferromagnetic chains are the switching driving force leading to a marked chain-size dependence.
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http://arxiv.org/abs/1211.1538
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