Nonlinear Landau-Lifshitz dynamics for circularly and elliptically polarized applied magnetic fields

The magnetization dynamics described by the Landau-Lifshitz equation is studied. In the case of circularly polarized applied magnetic field, the equation may have periodic and quasiperiodic solutions while chaotic dynamics is precluded. The qualitative change in the magnetization dynamics is examined when the polarization of a transverse harmonic magnetic field is gradually changed from circular to linear. Various nonlinear phenomena such as quasiperiodic behavior, symmetry breaking bifurcations and chaotic motions are observed.