Nonlinear Magnetization Dynamics in Nanosystems

Nonlinear Magnetization Dynamics in Nanosystems

Giorgio Bertotti

Isaak D. Mayergoyz

Claudio Serpico

Table of Contents

Cover image

Title page

Copyright

Preface

Chapter 1. Introduction

Publisher Summary

Chapter 2. Basic Equations for Magnetization Dynamics

Publisher Summary

2.1 Landau–Lifshitz equation

2.2 Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert equation

2.3 Other equations for the description of magnetization dynamics

2.4 Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert equation in normalized form

Chapter 3. Spatially Uniform Magnetization Dynamics

Publisher Summary

3.1 Spatially Uniform Solutions of LLG–Maxwell Equations

3.2 Structural Aspects of Spatially Uniform Magnetization Dynamics

3.3 Generalized Magnetization Dynamics

3.4 Analysis of Equilibrium Points of Magnetization Dynamics

Chapter 4. Precessional Magnetization Dynamics

Publisher Summary

4.1 Geometric Aspects of Precessional Dynamics

4.2 Analytical Study of Precessional Dynamics

4.3 Precessional Dynamics under Transverse Magnetic Field

4.4 Precessional Dynamics under Longitudinal Magnetic Field

4.5 Hamiltonian Structure of Precessional Dynamics

Chapter 5. Dissipative Magnetization Dynamics

Publisher Summary

5.1 Damping Switching in Uniaxial Media

5.2 Two-Time-Scale Formulation of LLG Dynamics and Averaging Technique

5.3 Magnetization Relaxation under Zero Applied Magnetic Field

5.4 Magnetization Relaxation under Applied Magnetic Fields

5.5 Self-Oscillations and Poincaré–Melnikov Theory

Chapter 6. Magnetization Switching

Publisher Summary

6.1 Physical Mechanisms of Precessional Switching

6.2 Critical Fields for Precessional Switching

6.3 Field-Pulse Duration for Precessional Switching

6.4 Switching under Nonrectangular Field Pulses (Inverse-Problem Approach)

Chapter 7. Magnetization Dynamics under Time-Harmonic Excitation

Publisher Summary

7.1 LLG Dynamics in the Presence of Rotational Invariance

7.2 Periodic Magnetization Modes

7.3 Quasi-Periodic Magnetization Modes

7.4 Bifurcation Diagrams

7.5 Nonlinear Ferromagnetic Resonance, Foldover, and Switching Phenomena

7.6 Magnetization Dynamics under Deviations from Rotational Symmetry

Chapter 8. Spin-Waves and Parametric Instabilities

Publisher Summary

8.1 Linearized LLG Equation

8.2 Spin-Wave Perturbations

8.3 Stability Analysis

8.4 Spin-Wave Instabilities and Instability Diagrams

8.5 Spin-Wave Perturbations for Ultra-Thin Films

Chapter 9. Spin-Transfer-Driven Magnetization Dynamics

Publisher Summary

9.1 Spin-Transfer Modification of the LLG Equation

9.2 Stationary States

9.3 Self-Oscillations

9.4 Phase Portraits and Bifurcations

9.5 Stability Diagrams

9.6 Systems with Uniaxial Symmetry

Chapter 10. Stochastic Magnetization Dynamics

Publisher Summary

10.1 Stochastic Landau–Lifshitz and Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert Equations

10.2 Fokker–Planck Equation for Stochastic Magnetization Dynamics

10.3 Analysis of Magnetization Dynamics by using Stochastic Processes on Graphs

10.4 Stationary Distributions and Thermal Transitions

10.5 Stochastic Magnetization Dynamics in Uniaxial Systems

10.6 Autocorrelation Function and Power Spectral Density

10.7 Stochastic Magnetization Dynamics in Nonuniformly Magnetized Ferromagnets

Chapter 11. Numerical Techniques for Magnetization Dynamics Analysis

Publisher Summary

11.1 Mid-Point Finite-Difference Schemes

11.2 Mid-Point Finite-Difference Schemes for Stochastic Magnetization Dynamics

11.3 Numerical Techniques for Nonuniformly Magnetized Particles

11.4 Micromagnetic Simulations of Magnetization Reversal and Spin-Wave Excitation

11.5 Micromagnetic Simulations of Chaotic Dynamics

References

Subject Index

Copyright

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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

Mayergoyz, I. D.

Nonlinear magnetization dynamics in nanosystems. -

(Elsevier series in electromagnetism)

1. Magnetization 2. Nanoelectromechanical systems

3. Nonlinear systems

I. Title II. Bertotti, Giorgio III. Serpico, Claudio 621.3’4

Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication Data

Library of Congress Control Number: 2008936730

ISBN: 978-0-0804-4316-4

Printed and bound in MPG, UK 09 10 11 12 13 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Preface

G. Bertotti, I.D. Mayergoyz and C. Serpico

This book deals with the analytical study of nonlinear magnetization dynamics in nanomagnetic devices and structures. This dynamics is governed by the Landau–Lifshitz equation and its generalizations to the case of spin-polarized current injection. The book is concerned with large magnetization motions when the nonlinear nature of the Landau-Lifshitz equation is strongly pronounced. For this reason, the book is distinctly unique as far as its emphasis, style of exposition, scope and conceptual depth are concerned. It is believed that the topics discussed in the book are of interest to the broad audience of electrical engineers, material scientists, physicists, applied mathematicians and numerical analysts involved in the development of novel magnetic storage technology and novel nanomagnetic devices.

In the book, no attempt is made to refer to all relevant publications, although many of them appear in the reference list. The presentation of the material in the book is largely based on the publications of the authors that have appeared over the last ten years. This book and the research on which it is based are the outcome of truly collective efforts of the three authors. The names of the authors on the cover page are in alphabetic order. This order has no other connotation, and it is invariant with respect to circular permutations as far as the matter of merit is concerned.

We wish to express our gratitude to our former graduate students R. Bonin, M. d’Aquino, and M. Dimian, who assisted us in our research on nonlinear magnetization dynamics. We are also grateful to P. McAvoy for his help in the preparation of the manuscript.

Chapter 1

Introduction

Publisher Summary

This chapter provides an introduction to non-linear magnetization dynamics. Extensive use of the techniques of the nonlinear dynamical system theory leads to the qualitative understanding of nonlinear magnetization dynamics. Similarly, perturbation techniques around large magnetization motions provide an understanding of the analytical study of nonlinear magnetization dynamics. Analytical solutions are provided in terms of elliptical functions for large motions of precessional magnetization dynamics, precessional switching, and exact analytical solutions for damped magnetization dynamics driven by circularly polarized radio-frequency fields in the case of uniaxial symmetry. The emphasis is on the two-time-scale nature of magnetization dynamics and the development of the averaging technique for the analysis of damping switching. The comprehensive qualitative and quantitative understanding of nonlinear magnetization dynamics reveals new physics and it may eventually lead to new technological applications.

The analytical study of magnetization dynamics governed by the Landau–Lifshitz equation has been the focus of considerable research for many years. Traditionally, this study has been driven by ferromagnetic resonance problems. In these problems, the main part of magnetization is pinned down by a strong constant in time (dc) magnetic field, while only a small component of magnetization executes resonance motions caused by radio-frequency (rf) fields. These small magnetization motions have been studied by linearizing the Landau–Lifshitz equation around the equilibrium state, i.e., the state corresponding to the applied dc magnetic field. For this reason, the literature on magnetization dynamics has been mostly concerned with the analytical solution of the linearized Landau–Lifshitz equation. However, this linearization approach is rather limited in scope and has little relevance to magnetic data storage technology, where the magnetic writing process results in large magnetization motions. In addition, new directions of research have recently emerged that deal with large magnetization motions and that require the analysis of the nonlinear Landau–Lifshitz equation. These new areas of research are the fast precessional switching of magnetization in thin films and the magnetization dynamics induced by spin-polarized current injection in nano-pillar or nano-contact devices. Finally, the comprehensive qualitative and quantitative understanding of nonlinear magnetization dynamics is of interest in its own right, because it may reveal new physics and, in this way, it may eventually lead to new technological applications.

In spite of significant theoretical and practical interests, very few books exist that cover nonlinear magnetization dynamics in sufficient depth and breadth. It is hoped that this book will help to bridge this gap.

The book has the following salient and novel features:

• Extensive use of techniques of nonlinear dynamical system theory for the qualitative understanding of nonlinear magnetization dynamics;

• Analytical solutions (in terms of elliptical functions) for large motions of precessional magnetization dynamics and precessional switching;

• Emphasis on the two-time-scale nature of magnetization dynamics and the development of the averaging technique for the analysis of damping switching;

• Exact analytical solutions for damped magnetization dynamics driven by circularly polarized rf fields in the case of uniaxial symmetry;

• Analysis of spin-wave instabilities for large magnetization motions;

• Analytical study of large magnetization motions (including self-oscillations) driven by spin-polarized current injection;

• Extensive analysis of randomly perturbed magnetization dynamics and its power spectral density by using the theory of stochastic processes on graphs;

• Extensive use of perturbation techniques around large magnetization motions for the analytical study of nonlinear magnetization dynamics;

• Development of novel discretization techniques for the numerical integration of the Landau–Lifshitz equation, their extensive testing and their use for the analysis of chaotic magnetization dynamics.

The book contains 11 chapters. The detailed review of the book content is given below, chapter by chapter. This review is presented in purely descriptive terms, i.e., without invoking any mathematical formulas, but rather emphasizing the physical aspects of the matter.

Chapter in the precessional terms. It is then shown that, by using the appropriate linear combination of the Landau–Lifshitz and Gilbert damping terms, the LL and LLG equations can be written in the mathematically equivalent form where the precessional term is the same as in the absence of the thermal bath. Equations for the free energy balance are derived from the LL and LLG equation, and it is shown that the free energy is always a decreasing function of time when the external field is constant in time. The nonlinear Bloch equation for the magnetization dynamics is then introduced and discussed. This Bloch equation may serve as an alternative to the LL and LLG equations in situations when the driving actions of applied magnetic fields are so strong that the magnetization magnitude is no longer preserved, at least during short transients before usual micromagnetic states have emerged. The chapter is concluded with the discussion of the normalized forms of the LL and LLG equations. These forms clearly reveal that these equations have two distinct (fast and slow) time scales associated with precession and damping, respectively.

Chapter 3 deals with spatially uniform magnetization dynamics. This dynamics is of importance for several reasons. First, the spatially uniform magnetization dynamics is often a preferable and desired mode of operation in many nano-devices and structures. Second, exchange forces strongly penalize spatial magnetization nonuniformities on the nano-scale and favor the realization of spatially uniform magnetization dynamics. Third, spatially nonuniform magnetization dynamics may appear in nano-particles and nano-devices as a result of inherent instabilities of spatially uniform magnetization dynamics. For this reason, this spatially nonuniform magnetization dynamics can be studied by means of perturbations of the spatially uniform magnetization dynamics. Finally, the spatially uniform magnetization dynamics deserves special attention because it is the simplest albeit nontrivial case of nonlinear magnetization dynamics. The comprehensive study of this case may help to distinguish the physical effects that can be ascribed to the presence of spatial nonuniformities from those which can be still explained in the framework of nonlinear spatially uniform magnetization dynamics.

It is stressed at the beginning of Chapter 3 that magnetization dynamics is mathematically described by the LLG (or LL) equation that is coupled through the effective field with the magnetostatic Maxwell equations. These LLG–Maxwell equations are nonlinear partial differential equations that can be exactly reduced to nonlinear ordinary differential equations under the conditions of spatial uniformity of (1) the applied field, (2) initial conditions for magnetization, (3) anisotropy properties of ellipsoidal particles, as well as the absence of surface anisotropy. Under these conditions, the particle magnetization is spatially uniform and the solution of the magnetostatic Maxwell equations is given in terms of the demagnetizing factors. As a result, the effective magnetic field can be expressed as a vectorial algebraic function of the spatially uniform magnetization and the entire system of LLG–Maxwell equations is exactly transformed into a single nonlinear LLG (or LL) equation. The vectorial forms of the LLG and LL equations are instrumental in the discussion of theoretical issues; however, representations of these equations in various coordinate systems may be convenient in applications. For this reason, the representations of the LLG equation in spherical and stereographic coordinates are presented and discussed. The spherical and stereographic coordinates explicitly account for the fact that the magnetization dynamics occurs on the unit sphere. This leads to the reduction of the number of state variables to two.

The structural aspects of the nonlinear magnetization dynamics described by the LL equation are then studied. Basic qualitative features of the dynamics under applied dc magnetic field directly follow from the confinement of this dynamics to the unit sphere. These features are (1) the existence of equilibrium states; (2) the number of these states is at least two and it is always even; (3) chaos is precluded as a consequence of the two-dimensional nature of the phase space; (4) distinct equilibrium states are nodes, foci and saddles. It is demonstrated that for applied dc magnetic fields the magnetic free energy is continuously decreased in time as a result of magnetization dynamics. This implies that the LL equation has a Lyapunov structure with the free energy being a global Lyapunov function. This also implies that magnetization relaxations lead toward equilibria where the magnetic free energy reaches minimum values. The monotonic decrease in the magnetic free energy reveals that no self-oscillations (limit cycles) are possible.

It is then discussed how the LLG and LL equations can be generalized to situations when the magnetization dynamics is driven not only by the applied magnetic field, but by some other forces such as, for instance, spin-polarized current injection. In these situations, the critical points of magnetization dynamics are distinct from micromagnetic equilibrium states and the only constraint which remains is the confinement of the magnetization dynamics to the unit sphere. It turns out that the most general and natural way to account for this constraint is to use the Helmholtz decomposition for vector fields defined on the unit sphere. This decomposition reveals that the dynamics on the unit sphere is driven by the gradients of two potentials. One of these potentials can be identified with the magnetic free energy, while the mathematical expressions for the other potential depend on the physical origin of driving forces distinct from the applied magnetic field. In the particular case when the magnetization dynamics is driven by spin-polarized current injection in the presence (or absence) of applied magnetic fields, the explicit expression for the second potential is given. This expression results in the dynamic equation which has been suggested by J.C. Slonczewski.

Chapter 3 is concluded with the detailed discussion of equilibrium states for the case when the component of the applied magnetic field along one of the principal anisotropy axes is equal to zero. This case is important in the applications related to thin film devices. It is demonstrated that in this case, the analytical theory for the characterization of equilibrium states can be completely worked out and translated into geometric terms. This theory can be regarded as the far-reaching generalization of the Stoner–Wohlfarth theory for particles with uniaxial anisotropy.

Chapter is usually quite small, the actual magnetization dynamics on a relatively short time scale is very close to the undamped precessional dynamics. This suggests that the actual dissipative dynamics can be treated as a perturbation of conservative (precessional) dynamics. This perturbation approach is extensively used throughout the book. Second, the study of the precessional magnetization dynamics is also of importance in its own right, because this study lays the foundation for the analysis of the precessional switching of magnetization which is extensively discussed in Chapter 6.

being generalized momentum and coordinate, respectively.

Chapter and by the initial orientation of the magnetization. In other words, the applied magnetic field controls only the time parametrization of the universal damping-switching trajectories.

The slow and fast time scales of magnetization dynamics are mathematically decoupled in the problem of damping switching of uniaxial particles due to the unique symmetry properties of that problem. In general, the slow-time-scale magnetization dynamics is concealed and obscured because all three magnetization components vary on the fast time scale. This is rather unsatisfactory because the slow-time-scale dynamics reveals the actual rate of relaxation to equilibrium and, consequently, the actual switching time. It is clear on physical grounds that the magnetic free energy varies on the slow time scale. In other words, the magnetic free energy is a slow variable whose time evolution is not essentially affected by the fast precessional dynamics. For this reason, it is desirable to derive dynamic equations containing the magnetic free energy as a state variable. It is demonstrated that this can be accomplished by using two different techniques. The first technique is based on the two-time-scale reformulation of the LL equation, in which the coupled dynamic equations are derived for the magnetic free energy and two magnetization components. In this two-time-scale formulation, the slow and fast magnetization dynamics are coupled. They can be completely decoupled by using the averaging technique. In the averaging technique, the first-order differential equation for the magnetic free energy is derived through the averaging of certain terms over precession cycles. This time averaging can be carried out analytically by using the formulas derived in Chapter 4 for the precessional dynamics. The averaging technique is used for the analytical study of magnetization relaxations under zero applied magnetic field. Such relaxations are usually referred to as ringing phenomena that typically occur during the final stages of magnetization switching after the external magnetic field has been switched off. The averaging technique is also used for the analytical study of magnetization relaxations under applied magnetic fields, and the problem of damping switching of longitudinal media is discussed in detail. Here, the expression for the critical field of such switching is given and the relaxations are described in terms of Jacobi elliptic functions.

The chapter is concluded with the discussion of the Poincaré–Melnikov theory, which is conceptually similar to the averaging technique. This theory is instrumental for the identification of self-oscillations (limit cycles) of magnetization dynamics when it is driven not only by applied dc magnetic fields but by other stationary forces as well (for instance, by spin-polarized current injection). If these forces are of the same order of smallness as the damping, then along some precessional trajectories the losses of energy due to the damping can be fully balanced out by the influx of energy provided by these forces. This energy balance, which occurs not locally in time but over a period of precessional motion, is the physical mechanism for the formation of limit cycles which lie on the unit sphere in close proximity to the above-mentioned precessional trajectories. To identify these precessional trajectories, the Melnikov function is introduced through the averaging of specific terms of the LL equation over precessional trajectories. Since each precessional trajectory corresponds to the specific value of the magnetic free energy, the Melnikov function is a function of energy. The central result of the Poincaré–Melnikov theory is that the zeros of the Melnikov function are the values of the energy which correspond to the precessional trajectories that can be identified as limit cycles, i.e., as trajectories corresponding to self-oscillations of magnetization. The Poincaré–Melnikov theory is extensively used in Chapters 7 and 9 of the book in the study of quasi-periodic magnetization motions under rotating external field and magnetization self-oscillations caused by spin-polarized current injection.

Chapter 6 is concerned with the analytical study of precessional switching of magnetization in thin films. The physics of Precessional switching this switching is quite different from the conventional damping switching. In the case of damping switching, magnetization reversals are produced by applying magnetic fields opposite to the initial magnetization orientations. This makes initial magnetization states energetically unfavorable and causes magnetization relaxations towards desired equilibrium states. These relaxations are realized through numerous precessional cycles and, for this reason, they are relatively slow. Recently, a new mode of magnetization switching has emerged. This mode exploits fast precessional magnetization dynamics and it is termed precessional switching. Precessional switching is usually realized in magnetic nano-films through the following steps. The magnetization is initially along the film easy axis and a magnetic field is applied in the film plane almost orthogonal to the magnetization. This field produces a torque which tilts the magnetization out of the film plane. This, in turn, results in a strong vertical demagnetizing field, which yields an additional torque that forces the magnetization to precess in the plane of the thin film away from its initial position. The desired magnetization reversal is realized by switching the applied magnetic field off when the magnetization is close to its reversed orientation. After the field is switched off, the magnetization relaxes to its reversed equilibrium state.

, the more intricate and finer the entanglement of the two basins of attraction in the high-energy regions. This fine entanglement leads to the seemingly stochastic nature of precessional switching if the applied field is switched off when the magnetization is still in the high-energy regions. This seemingly stochastic nature of switching has been experimentally observed.

After the qualitative (phase portrait) analysis of precessional switching, the analytical study of the critical fields for precessional switching is presented. This study is based on the unit-disk representation of precessional dynamics and it reveals that the critical fields depend on the orientation of the applied field with respect to the easy axis. These critical fields are appreciably lower than for the traditional damping switching. It is noted that the presented analysis of the critical fields is also valid for the precessional switching of perpendicular media. The precessional switching of perpendicular media may be very appealing from the technological point of view because it can be accomplished by using the same heads as in longitudinal recording, i.e., without probe heads and soft magnetic underlayers for recording media. The central issue for the realization of precessional switching is the proper pulse duration. This issue is discussed for the precessional switching of longitudinal and perpendicular media and analytical formulas are derived for the bounds of pulse durations that guarantee the switching. Then, the comparative analysis of precessional and damping switching is presented. The described analysis of critical switching fields and pulse durations that guarantee the precessional switching is carried out for rectangular pulses of applied magnetic fields, which is a clear limitation. To remove this limitation, the chapter is concluded with the discussion of the inverse-problem approach that leads to explicit analytical expressions for nonrectangular magnetic field pulses that result in the precessional switching. In this approach, a desired precessional switching dynamics is first chosen and the magnetic field pulse that guarantees the chosen switching dynamics is then determined. A specific version of the inverse-problem approach that is purely algebraic in nature is fully developed and illustrated. As a byproduct, this approach leads to analytical solutions for precessional nonconservative magnetization dynamics.

Chapter 7 deals with the analytical study of magnetization dynamics under dc bias and rf applied magnetic fields. In contrast with the classical ferromagnetic resonance problems, the main focus of the chapter is to find analytical solutions to the LLG equation for large magnetization motions when the nonlinear nature of the LLG equation is strongly pronounced. This is accomplished for spheroidal particles subject to dc magnetic fields applied along the symmetry axis and circularly polarized rf magnetic fields applied in the plane perpendicular to the symmetry axis. These problems exhibit rotational symmetry that can be fully exploited by using the rotating reference frame in which the external rf field is stationary. The transformation to the rotating reference frame results in the autonomous form of the magnetization dynamics on the unit sphere. Some general properties of such autonomous dynamics are readily available in mathematical literature. Namely, such dynamics has critical (fixed) points which correspond to the uniformly rotating magnetization dynamics in the laboratory reference frame. These periodic rotating solutions to the LLG equation are termed P-modes. It is remarkable that these periodic solutions are time-harmonic (i.e., without generation of higher-order harmonics) despite the strongly nonlinear nature of the LLG equation. The number of P-modes is predicted by the Poincaré index theorem. This theorem asserts that the number of nodes or foci minus the number of saddles for any autonomous dynamics on the sphere must be equal to two. Therefore, the number of P-mode solutions is at least two and it is even under all circumstances. Furthermore, chaos is precluded, because the phase space of autonomous magnetization dynamics is two-dimensional. This means that the onset of chaotic dynamics is not compatible with the simultaneous constraints of rotational symmetry and spatial uniformity of the magnetization. Only if one or both of these constraints are relaxed may chaotic phenomena appear. Finally, the autonomous magnetization dynamics in the rotating frame may have limit cycles which manifest themselves in the laboratory frame as quasiperiodic solutions termed Q-modes.

The extensive analytical study of periodic and quasi-periodic solutions is presented. The periodic time-harmonic solutions (P, these critical points and P-modes can be found by solving a specific quartic equation. This suggests that there are two or four P-mode solutions. For these solutions to be physically realizable and experimentally observable, the corresponding critical points must be stable. The detailed analysis of stability of the critical points with respect to the spatially uniform perturbations is given and the appropriate stability diagram is constructed. It is noted that quasi-periodic solutions (Q-modes) appear because periodic motion along limit cycles has to be combined with the periodic motion of the rotating reference frame and their periods are not commensurate. The mathematical machinery of the Poincaré–Melnikov theory is used to analyze the limit cycles of autonomous dynamics in the rotating frame and examples of quasi-periodic solutions are given. The classification of phase portraits of the autonomous dynamics in the rotating frame is introduced and the detailed analysis of bifurcations (i.e., abrupt structural changes of phase portraits) is presented. The saddle-node bifurcation, Andronov–Hopf bifurcation, homoclinic-saddle-connection bifurcation and semi-stable-limit-cycle bifurcation are discussed and the mathematical conditions for these bifurcations are stated. The principles of the construction of bifurcation diagrams are outlined and examples of bifurcation diagrams are given.

The bifurcation analysis is applied to the study of nonlinear ferromagnetic resonance phenomena with the special emphasis on its two manifestations: foldover and rotating magnetic field induced switching. It is demonstrated that the critical rf field for the onset of the foldover phenomena can be exactly and analytically computed. In the typical case when the product of the damping coefficient and radio frequency is quite small, the approximate formula of P. Anderson and H. Suhl for the critical foldover field is recovered. It is also demonstrated that the theory of the rotating magnetic field induced switching has strong similarities to the Stoner–Wohlfarth theory of dc field induced switching of spheroidal particles. Switching events are treated as bifurcations and the dynamic analog and generalization of the Stoner–Wohlfarth astroid is introduced.

The chapter is concluded with the analysis of magnetization dynamics in the case of deviations from rotational symmetry. Such deviations are treated as perturbations. This perturbation approach leads to linearized equations for magnetization perturbations. The perturbation technique is developed in the rotating reference frame because this results in linear ODEs with constant (in time) coefficients. In contrast with the traditional approach, when the perturbation technique is used to obtain small motion solutions around dc saturation states, the emphasis is on the derivation of analytical formulas for the large motion solutions. These solutions are obtained as perturbations around exact P-mode solutions. The accuracy of the perturbation technique has been extensively tested through the comparison with the numerical techniques and several examples of this testing are presented.

Chapter 8 deals with spin-waves and parametric instabilities for large magnetization motions. Previously, spin-wave instabilities were extensively studied for spatially uniform small motions. It was realized that, at some rf input powers, these motions could get strongly coupled to certain thermally generated spin-wave perturbations, forcing them to grow up to nonthermal amplitudes through the so-called Suhl instabilities. The analytical expression for large magnetization motions (P-modes) in particles with uniaxial symmetry opens the possibility to carry out the analysis of spin-wave perturbations and spin-wave instabilities for spatially uniform large magnetization motions. This analysis reveals the remarkable result that the rf input powers capable of inducing spin-wave instabilities are bounded from below as well as from above. This implies that sufficiently large spatially uniform magnetization motions are always stable. Furthermore, it turns out that the stability of large magnetization motions may depend on the history of their excitation.

The discussion in the chapter starts with the linearization of the coupled Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert and Maxwell equations around P-mode solutions. To explicitly account for the conservation of magnetization magnitude, the time-dependent basis in the plane normal to the rotating magnetization of the P-mode is used for the representation of magnetization perturbations. In this basis, the linearized LLG–Maxwell equations form a set of two coupled integro-partial differential equations with time-dependent integral operators that represent perturbations of magnetostatic field components. By using these linearized equations, the far-from-equilibrium generalizations of magnetostatic modes (Walker modes) are first studied. These magnetostatic modes naturally appear when exchange forces can be neglected and magnetostatic boundary conditions are dominant. The partial differential equation for the magnetostatic potential inside the particle is derived. In comparison with the Walker equation, the derived equation contains one additional term which accounts for large motions of the unperturbed P-mode. Then, the detailed analysis of far-from-equilibrium spin-wave perturbations is presented. In contrast with the discussion of magnetostatic modes, the exchange forces are fully taken into account in this analysis, while the boundary conditions are treated at best approximately. In fact, spin-wave perturbations are plane-wave perturbations that cannot satisfy exactly the interface boundary conditions. The advantage of spin-wave perturbation analysis is the essential mathematical simplification of linearized equations. Indeed, it is demonstrated that for the plane-wave perturbations, the linearized integro-partial differential equations are reduced to two coupled ordinary differential equations with time-periodic coefficients. The Floquet theory for this type of equation is briefly reviewed and its implications to the analysis of spin-wave perturbations are discussed. Some approximate analytical results for spin-wave perturbations in the case of the special orientation of the wave-vector of spin waves or the smallness of the P-mode motions are presented.

Next, the detailed analysis of instabilities of the plane-wave perturbations of P-modes is carried out. It is stressed that these instabilities are of parametric resonance nature and the mathematical machinery of the one-period map and its eigenvalues (characteristic multipliers) is extensively used in