Temperature effects on the switching of small ultrathin magnetic structures

Mechanisms for the switching of the magnetization in ultrathin small struct ure are summarized. The temperature dependence of the switching field for d ifferent sizes and anisotropies is studied and found to be significant. Muc h of the current interpretations of finite temperature experimental results on giant magnetoresistance and tunnel structures in terms of zero temperat ure micromagnetics calculations have not considered this problem. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(99)23708-5].