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Taking into account the electron spin mobility, the paper considers the numerical solution to the equation for nonequilibrium spin polarization at the boundary of a magnetic contact with a current formed by two ferromagnets. The frequencies of spin injection radiation are calculated. It is shown that at a certain current density exceeding the threshold value, these frequencies lie in the terahertz frequency range. It was found that for the same terahertz frequency range, even for small values of the difference in the mobility of electrons with spin up and down, the current density can be two orders of magnitude lower than the current density with the same mobility.

Taking into account the difference in the mobilities of electrons with different spin projections, the frequencies of spin-injection radiation in the current-carrying magnetic contact formed by two ferromagnets are calculated. It is shown that these frequencies are in the terahertz range at a certain current density exceeding the threshold value, and the current density required to generate terahertz radiation can be, even at small values of the electron mobility difference, two orders of magnitude less than that in the absence of the electron mobility difference. The effect of the spin polarization ratio of ferromagnets that form a magnetic junction on the radiation frequency is analyzed.

The equation of the dynamics of the magnetic moment motion that has been averaged over the ensemble of nonequilibrium spin-injected electrons in a ferromagnetic transition in the presence of exchange interaction, interaction with an external electromagnetic field, and a thermostat has been obtained taking into account the spatial inhomogeneity of the charge carrier distribution. It has been shown that taking into account the spatial inhomogeneity of the charge carrier distribution in the equation of the dynamics of the magnetic moment motion allows for describing the various processes of electron transfer in the magnetic transition. The probability of quantum transitions of electrons with opposite spin directions, which determine spin relaxation in interaction with a thermostat, has been estimated. It has been shown that the anisotropy of the radiation medium is determined not only by the anisotropy of the sd-exchange tensor, but also by the additional anisotropy that is caused by the electron impulse derivatives of this tensor. The considered phenomena have a great potential for the detection of new effects and development of new devices based on them, including compact tunable radiation sources in the terahertz frequency range, which is obviously difficult to generate.

The dynamics of the motion of the magnetic moment averaged over an ensemble of nonequilibrium spin-injected electrons in a ferromagnetic junction is considered with allowance for the exchange interaction, as well as the interaction with an external electromagnetic field and a thermostat. The solution of this problem is important for the experimental development of compact terahertz-band radiation sources. The rate of quantum transitions of electrons with opposite spins, which determine the spin relaxation under the interaction with a thermostat, is calculated within the density matrix formalism. It is shown that two spin-relaxation modes can be implemented that correspond to low- and high-Q precession of spin-nonequilibrium injected electrons. The effect of the characteristic features of spin-flip transitions under the relaxation of the magnetic moment on the emission and absorption of photons with-energy corresponding to the energy of effective exchange splitting of spin subbands is discussed.

Operating modes of terahertz (THz) generators with “rod–film” magnetic junctions formed by a Fe rod with one pointed end with a diameter of 10–50 nm and various nanometer-thick (single-layer and multilayer) Со films are studied. It is demonstrated that the efficiency of the THz radiation increases (due to an increase in the current density) if the thickness of a single-layer film decreases to the point when it becomes discontinuous (ultrathin) while retains its conductivity. If a multilayer structure with several such films separated by nonmagnetic conductive layers is used, the radiation power can also be increased.

The observation of the stimulated terahertz radiation in magnetic junctions at the room temperature resulting from the current injection of nonequilibrium spins is reported. Contacts between two ferromagnetic layers and between a ferromagnetic and an antiferromagnetic layer are investigated. As the current is increased, first, a narrow isolated radiation peak at terahertz frequencies is observed, which is analogous to the laser peak; then, the peak broadens and its intensity increases by more than an order of magnitude.

We report on apparently the first observation of terahertz stimulated radiation in magnetic junctions due to nonequilibrium spins injected by current at room temperatures. The contact between ferromagnetic layers is investigated and so the contact between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic layers. The current flowing in the structure creates an inversed population of spin energy levels. After a placing of such a structure in a resonator positive feedback and stimulated emission appears. When current is growing, we observe the relatively narrow (in frequencies) peak - analogous to laser generation but at terahertz frequencies. For the higher currents we observe the picture of electromagnetic turbulence.

Fundamentally new devices for the generation of terahertz waves due to the effect of the spin-polarized current in ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic metal structures (magnetic junctions) are considered. The spin injection and the sd exchange and its effect on the interaction with electromagnetic waves play the main role in such devices. The effects that are induced by the polarized current in the antiferromagnetic materials (exchange instability, induced magnetization, and spin-injection antiferromagnetic resonance) are discussed. The principles and effects of the generation of the terahertz electromagnetic oscillations are considered, and the characteristics of the experimental prototypes of the corresponding devices are analyzed.

The magnetostatic field distribution in a structure formed from a ferromagnetic (FM) rod and thin FM film is numerically calculated. The effective terahertz radiation was previously discovered in such a structure in the presence of a current. It is shown that nanodimensional sections of the boundary between the lateral surface of the rod and the surface of the film can be a source of radiation. On these sections, the magnetostatic field changes its direction, a circumstance that provides for conditions for radiative transitions of electrons.

The stimulated emission of terahertz radiation in magnetic junctions at room temperature resulting from the current injection of nonequilibrium spins is observed. Contacts between two ferromagnetic layers as well as between a ferromagnetic and an antiferromagnetic layer are investigated. The current produces the population inversion of spin energy levels. As the system is placed in a cavity, positive feedback and stimulated emission appear. The development of a dominant emission peak and onset of electromagnetic turbulence are observed.

The terahertz region of the electromagnetic spectrum (approximately 0.3–30 THz) is still insufficiently mastered primarily because of the absence of compact and controllable emitters (oscillators) and receivers (detectors) reliably operating in this range in a wide temperature range, including room temperature. The corresponding recent studies in this field, which were supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, have been reviewed. New physical effects have been proposed and principles of the operation of terahertz devices based on these effects have been implemented. These effects refer to the physics of ferromagnetic and/or antiferromagnetic conducting layers assembled in micro- and nanostructures, which are called magnetic junctions. These effects are as follows: the formation of a quasiequilibrium distribution of current-injected electrons over the energy levels and the possibility of inverted population of levels, induction of the macroscopic magnetization by a spin-polarized current in an antiferromagnetic layer in the absence of external magnetic field, the appearance of current-induced contribution to antiferromagnetic resonance, and the experimental observation and study of the properties of terahertz radiation in ferromagnet-ferromagnet and ferromagnet-antiferromagnet junctions.

The spin-injection emission in a ferromagnetic junction at terahertz frequencies is theoretically analyzed. It is demonstrated that the efficiency of the emission caused by the sd-exchange interaction of the injected spin in which the electromagnetic field is involved strongly depends on the orientation angle of the magnetization of the active region relative to the magnetization direction of the injecting region. The fact that the calculated radiation frequency and power are close to the experimental results shows that the sd-exchange emission must be taken into account in the interpretation of the observed terahertz emission in magnetic junctions.

Spin-polarized current can tilt magnetic sublattices in an antiferromagnetic layer of a ferromagnet-antiferromagnet junction without imposing any external magnetic field. Thus, the current can induce magnetization in the antiferromagnetic layer. This effect seemingly took place in experiments on the observation of terahertz emission at the precession frequencies of current-induced magnetization. In this work, the mechanisms of motion of the induced magnetization, as well as the possibility of detection and generation of radiation emitted during such motion, are suggested and discussed. The notion of spin-injection antiferromagnetic resonance is introduced.

Current flow in the structure consisting of a hard-magnetic ferromagnetic rod (hardened steel) with a diameter of up to 100 μm that contacts a thin (10–100 nm) ferromagnetic (FeMn) film is studied at room temperature. Effective magnetization is induced in the FeMn film in the presence of the spin-polarized current in spite of the absence of the intrinsic magnetization. The terahertz radiation that is detected in this work is caused by the precession of the induced magnetization. The emission is interpreted using the recent theoretical predictions on the effect of the sd exchange on the lattice dynamics of antiferromagnetic layer.

A method for the measurement and identification of the radiation frequencies of the spin-injection oscillator in the terahertz frequency range using a diffraction grating is developed and experimentally implemented. For the system consisting of a ferromagnetic rod (Fe) and nanosized ferromagnetic film (Fe3O4 with a thickness of up to 100 nm), the thermal and dynamic components of the radiation that is induced by the current flow are separated. The diffraction peaks at a frequency of about 9.6 THz and a band of 37% at a level of 3 dB and at a frequency of 43.5 THz are demonstrated. It is shown that the intensity of each signal is significantly higher than the thermal background level.

The response of a ferromagnet-antiferromagnet junction to a high-frequency magnetic field is calculated as a function of the spin-polarized current density through the junction. Conditions are chosen under which the response is zero in absence of such a current. It is shown that increasing in the current density leads to proportional increase in the resonance frequency and resonant absorption. A principal possibility is indicated of using ferromagnet-antiferromagnet junction as a terahertz radiation detector.

Electromagnetic radiation of 1 - 10 THz range is observed at room temperature in a structure with a point contact between a ferromagnetic rod and a thin ferromagnetic film under electric current of high enough density. The radiation is due to nonequilibrium spin injection between the components of the structure. By estimates, the injection can lead to inverted population of the spin subbands. The radiation power exceeds by orders of magnitude the thermal background (with the Joule heating taking into account) and follows the current without inertia. Efficiency of the oscillator depends strongly on the material used and quantum efficiency may exceed the unity. It means the stimulated radiation processes play an important role.

The spin-injection emission of the system that consists of a nonmagnetic conducting rod and two-layer planar heteroepitaxial structure formed by thin metal and magnetite films is experimentally studied. The electromagnetic emission in the terahertz range is demonstrated for the first time due to the creation of the nonequilibrium population of the spin energy subbands (relatively low current densities of about 105 A/cm2 are needed at room temperature).

The energy efficiency of the spin-injection emitter based on the rod-film ferromagnetic structure with a point contact between the components in the terahertz frequency range is experimentally estimated. The film material substantially affects the efficiency. A concentrator of magnetic flux is proposed for an increase in the efficiency. The experimental estimations allow the quantum yield of the emitter that is greater than unity. This result indicates significant contribution of the stimulated radiative transitions.

The generation of electromagnetic THz waves by a current is experimentally investigated in planar structures comprised of two ferromagnetic films. When the films come into contact with a thin copper rod, the current is applied to both layers. The first layer, which plays the role of an injector, polarizes the spins of the current carriers. In the second working layer, the conditions are created for spin population inversion and the generation of THz waves. At a current of 350 mA, the radiation wavelength is 16.4 THz and a power of 10 mW is reached at room temperature.

Properties are discussed of a ferromagnetic junction in the form of a rod contacting with a film. Very high current density of the order of j ∼ 109 A/cm2 may be achieved in the contact region that can lead to inversion of population of the spin energy subbands. The inversion depends strongly on the direction of the current (forward or backward). We prepared experimentally a rod-to-film structure and investigated high density current flowing through it. Current dependent radiation has been observed by means of a THz receiver, the radiation intensity being different for forward and backward currents. It shows that the radiation includes not only thermal contribution but also non-thermal (spin-injection) one.

The distribution of the spin polarization of conduction electrons is calculated under the conditions for the spin injection from a probe to a ferromagnetic film in the presence of current. It is demonstrated that the main parameters that determine the deviation of the spin polarization from equilibrium are the current density and spin polarization of the probe material, whereas the ratio of the probe diameter to the spin diffusion length weakly affects the result in certain ranges. The population inversion of the spin subbands can be reached at distances of about spin diffusion length from the probe-film interface.

Current-induced switching is considered in a magnetic junction. The junction includes pinned and free ferromagnetic layers which work in the regime of the high spin injection. It is shown that in such a regime the exchange magnetization reversal threshold can be lowered up to two times when the axes of the layers are noncollinear.

A perpendicular current that flows through a ferromagnetic nanojunction (a layered nanosized spinvalve structure containing two ferromagnetic metal layers separated by a spacer) is studied. The spacer is thick enough to prevent the exchange coupling of the layers in the absence of the current. On the other hand, the spacer is sufficiently thin and does not affect the spin polarization in the presence of the current. Conditions for a relatively high current-induced spin injection are found. Under such conditions, the concentration of the injected nonequilibrium spins can be equal to or even greater than the equilibrium concentration and several new effects are observed: The threshold of the exchange switching by the current decreases by several orders of magnitude owing to the matching of the spin resistances of the layers, the threshold additionally decreases in the presence of an external magnetic field in the vicinity of the orientational phase transition, and multistability emerges (several stable noncollinear orientations of magnetization correspond to a single value of the current). Switching appears to be irreversible.

We investigate a perpendicular electric current passing through a “ferromagnetic nanojunction”, that is through some layered nanosized structure of spin-valve type, containing two ferromagnetic metallic layers. Spacer may be used between the metallic layers to prevent the rotation of the moving spin phases. Such an arrangement is typical for spin valves: one of the metallic layers has strongly pinned magnetic lattice and the other one has free magnetic lattice and free mobile spins. Further the conditions are derived to provide a very high nonequilibrium spin injection level. It appears that the so-called spin resistances of the constitutive layers should be in definite relations to each other. These relations lead to the situation where the spin injection becomes dominant and significantly suppresses the “ordinary” spin-transfer torque. As a result, the threshold current becomes lowered down to 2–3 and even more orders of magnitude.

We propose and discuss the mechanisms of terahertz sd exchange radiation during transmission of the spin-polarized current in a structure from a thin steel rod pressured to an ultrathin ferromagnetic film. The two mechanisms considered are quantum transitions between the quasi-Fermi levels in the film near the rod and precession of injected spins around the film magnetization.