LLG simulator recreates spin-transfer torque effect

When used as part of the development process for hard-drive heads or other memory devices, this software can help reduce the number of prototypes and improve performance. This version adds the ability to simulate the spin-transfer torque effect, in which the application of an electric current can change the magnetic orientation of an electron. This feature enables simulations of the data recording process of next-gen magnetic memory, which is designed to offer the benefits of higher speeds with lower power consumption.

The simulator, which now runs on Windows as well as Linux, also includes faster rendering of on-screen graphics, showing the calculated behaviours of magnetic bodies. The product has potential applications in developing magnetic materials, as well as magnetic devices that use the spin-transfer torque effect. Magnetic materials are used in a wide range of magnetic devices, including heads for hard drives, memory devices, DC/DC converters, and non-contact electrical chargers.

When designing these devices, it is important to understand the behaviour of magnetic bodies, such as the speed and stability of the magnetisation process in magnetic materials. This software simulates the movements of electrons when the type, shape, and operating conditions of a magnetic body are changed, helping to optimise the design of a wide range of magnetic devices for improved functionality and performance.

This version adds the ability to simulate the spin-transfer torque effect, which is being studied as a way to achieve faster and more power-efficient magnetic memory and magnetic heads for higher-capacity hard drives, in order to meet the ongoing need for devices with more functionality and higher performance.

The EXAMAG LLG Simulator runs high-speed simulations using massively parallel computing, combining micromagnetics techniques and the finite-element method, allowing PC servers to be used for the intensive computations involved in analysing the designs of magnetic devices and the magnetisation processes of magnetic materials with complex shapes.

When a magnetic body conducts electricity, torque is produced between electrons, specifically, by the interaction of electrons conducting electricity and electrons in a magnetic body, which causes a magnetic reversal. This is known as the spin-transfer torque effect. Compared to existing methods for reversing the magnetic orientation of electrons, this acts more quickly and with less power, making it attractive for applications in future devices. This software supports both spin-charging torque, in which spin is added to conducting electrons in a magnetic body, and current-driven torque, in which the current itself produces the spin-transfer torque. In addition to memory, such as MRAM, it also can be used with the new structure of domain wall motion memory. Another potential use is in analysing magnetic heads for future hard drives using microwave-assisted magnetic recording.

Fujitsu has significantly redesigned the UI to deliver a more comfortable analysis environment, and increased the speed at which simulation results are displayed on the graphics screen by at least ten times. In addition to Linux, the simulator also runs on Windows PCs to support a wider range of work environments.