Patent ID: 8379352

Claim:
A thermagnonic spin-torque oscillator (STO) comprising: a substrate; a set of layers on the substrate comprising: a ferromagnetic reference layer having a fixed magnetization; a ferromagnetic free layer having a magnetization capable of oscillation; a nonmagnetic spacer layer between the reference layer and the free layer; a magnetic oxide layer having a fixed magnetization; a ferromagnetic metallic layer in contact with one surface of the magnetic oxide layer; and a nonmagnetic electrically conductive layer between the metallic layer and the free layer; a heat source coupled to the other surface of the magnetic oxide layer for generating a thermal gradient from said other magnetic oxide layer surface across said magnetic oxide layer and across said metallic layer and nonmagnetic electrically conductive layer to the free layer; and electrical terminals for connection of electrical circuitry to supply sense current from the reference layer to the free layer.