Magnetization switching induced by spin polarized currents

Summary form only given. When a spin polarized current moves across a magnetically inhomogeneous structure, a spin accumulation will be produced in order to maintain a continuous flow of the spin current. This phenomenon has been identified as the primary origin of the CPP (currents perpendicular to the plane of the layers) giant magnetoresistance in magnetic multilayers. By considering the exchange interaction between the spin accumulation and the local magnetization, we have found that the spin accumulation is also a driving force for the current induced magnetization switching.