Nonlinear Landau-Lifshitz dynamics for circularly and elliptically polarized applied magnetic fields

The magnetization dynamics described by the Landau-Lifshitz equation is studied. In the case of circularly polarized applied magnetic field, the equation may have periodic and quasi-periodic solutions while chaotic dynamics is precluded. The qualitative change in the magnetization dynamics is examined when the polarization of a transverse harmonic magnetic field is gradually changed from circular to linear. Various nonlinear phenomena such as quasi-periodic behavior, symmetry breaking bifurcations and chaotic motions are observed