ECE Professor Mayergoyz Publishes in Physical Review B on Stochastic Resonance

A paper co-authored by ECE Alford L. Ward Professor Issak Mayergoyz, Professor D’Aquino, and former post-doctoral researcher of Dr. Mayergoyz, Professor Serpico, has been published in the American Physical Society journal, Physical Review B. The paper, titled, “Stochastic resonance in noise-induced transitions between self-oscillations and equilibria in spin-valve nanomagnets”, was co-authored by R. Bonin and G. Bertotti.

This paper studied the thermally induced synchronization between magnetization transitions and “weak” ac excitations for spin-transfer oscillators. The authors developed a theoretical approach, based on the separation of time scales to investigate this physical phenomenon. By applying the appropriate averaging technique to the Fokker-Planck equation associated with the stochastic magnetization dynamics, a stochastic differential equation for the “slow” (energy) variable was derived. This equation analyzes intrawell thermal transitions between magnetization equilibria and self-oscillations.  The outcome demonstrated that the thermally induced synchronization between magnetization transitions and ac excitation can be viewed as a stochastic resonance effect. It is shown that this effect occurs in spin-transfer nano-oscillators both in the classical case of subthreshold ac excitation as well as in the suprathreshold case. The theoretical predictions are in sound agreement with simulations of the Landau-Lifshitz-Slonczewski dynamics.

Physical Review B is the largest and most comprehensive international journal specializing in condensed matter and materials physics, publishing important papers on a wide range of topics. The journal has an impact factor of 3.772 (2010) and is ranked number one in total citations in condensed matter physics.

Published November 29, 2011