New origin for spin current and current-induced spin precession in magnetic multilayers

In metallic ferromagnets, an electric current is accompanied by a flux of angular momentum, also called spin current. In multilayers, spatial variations of the spin current correspond to drive torques exerted on a magnetic layer. These torques result in spin precession above a certain current threshold. The usual kind of spin current is associated with translation of the spin-up and spin-down Fermi surfaces in momentum space. We discuss a different kind of spin current, associated with expansion and contraction of the Fermi surfaces. It is more nonlocal in nature, and may exist even in locations where the electrical current density is zero. It is larger than the usual spin current, in a ratio of 10 or 100, at least in the case of one-dimensional current flow. The new spin current is proportional to the difference Delta<(<mu>)over bar>similar or equal to 10(-3) eV between spin-up and spin-down Fermi levels, averaged over the entire Fermi surface. Conduction processes, spin relaxation, and spin-wave emission in the multilayer can be described by an equivalent electrical circuit resembling an unbalanced dc Wheatstone bridge. And Delta<(<mu>)over bar> corresponds to the output voltage of the bridge. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.