No Arabic abstract
Unidirectional motion of magnetic domain walls is the key concept underlying next-generation domain-wall-mediated memory and logic devices. Such motion has been achieved either by injecting large electric currents into nanowires or by employing domain-wall tension induced by sophisticated structural modulation. Herein, we demonstrate a new scheme without any current injection or structural modulation. This scheme utilizes the recently discovered chiral domain walls, which exhibit asymmetry in their speed with respect to magnetic fields. Because of this asymmetry, an alternating magnetic field results in the coherent motion of the domain walls in one direction. Such coherent unidirectional motion is achieved even for an array of magnetic bubble domains, enabling the design of a new device prototype-magnetic bubblecade memory-with two-dimensional data-storage capability.
Unidirectional magnetic domain-wall motion is a key concept underlying next-generation application devices. Such motion has been recently demonstrated by applying an alternating magnetic field, resulting in the coherent unidirectional motion of magnetic bubbles. Here we report the optimal configuration of applied magnetic field for the magnetic bubblecade, the coherent unidirectional motion of magnetic bubbles, driven by a tilted alternating magnetic field. The tilted alternating magnetic field induces asymmetric expansion and shrinkage of the magnetic bubbles under the influence of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, resulting in continuous shift of the bubbles in time. By realizing the magnetic bubblecade in PtCoPt films, we find that the bubblecade speed is sensitive to the tilt angle with a maximum at an angle, which can be explained well by a simple analytical form within the context of the domain-wall creep theory. A simplified analytic formula for the angle for maximum speed is then given as a function of the amplitude of the alternating magnetic field. The present observation provides a practical design rule for memory and logic devices based on the magnetic bubblecade.
Using the ultra low damping NiMnSb half-Heusler alloy patterned into vortex-state magnetic nano-dots, we demonstrate a new concept of non-volatile memory controlled by the frequency. A perpendicular bias magnetic field is used to split the frequency of the vortex core gyrotropic rotation into two distinct frequencies, depending on the sign of the vortex core polarity $p=pm1$ inside the dot. A magnetic resonance force microscope and microwave pulses applied at one of these two resonant frequencies allow for local and deterministic addressing of binary information (core polarity).
Solitonic magnetic excitations such as domain walls and, specifically, skyrmionics enable the possibility of compact, high density, ultrafast,all-electronic, low-energy devices, which is the basis for the emerging area of skyrmionics. The topological winding of skyrmion spins affects their overall lifetime, energetics and dynamical behavior. In this review, we discuss skyrmionics in the context of the present day solid state memory landscape, and show how their size, stability and mobility can be controlled by material engineering, as well as how they can be nucleated and detected. Ferrimagnetsnear their compensation points are important candidates for this application, leading to detailed exploration of amorphous CoGd as well as the study of emergent materials such as Mn$_4$N and Inverse Heusler alloys. Along with material properties, geometrical parameters such as film thickness, defect density and notches can be used to tune skyrmion properties, such as their size and stability. Topology, however, can be a double-edged sword, especially for isolated metastable skyrmions, as it brings stability at the cost of additional damping and deflective Magnus forces compared to domain walls. Skyrmion deformation in response to forces also makes them intrinsically slower than domain walls. We explore potential analog applications of skyrmions, including temporal memory at low density, and decorrelator for stochastic computing at a higher density that capitalizes on their interactions. We summarize the main challenges to achieve a skyrmionics technology, including maintaining positional stability with very high accuracy, electrical readout, especially for small ferrimagnetic skyrmions, deterministic nucleation and annihilation, and overall integration with digital circuits with the associated circuit overhead.
The origin of incommensurate structural modulation in Ni-Mn based Heusler type magnetic shape memory alloys (MSMAs) is still an unresolved issue inspite of intense focus on this due to its role in the magnetic field induced ultra-high strains. In the archetypal MSMA Ni2MnGa, the observation of non-uniform displacement of atoms from their mean positions in the modulated martensite phase, premartensite phase and charge density wave as well as the presence of phason broadening of satellite peaks have been taken in support of the electronic instability model linked with a soft acoustic phonon. We present here results of a combined high resolution synchrotron x-ray powder diffraction (SXRPD) and neutron powder diffraction (NPD) study on Ni2Mn1.4In0.6 using (3+1)D superspace group approach, which reveal not only uniform atomic displacements in the modulated structure of the martensite phase with physically acceptable ordered magnetic moments in the antiferromagnetic phase at low temperatures but also the absence of any premartensite phase and phason broadening of the satellite peaks. Our HRTEM studies and first principles calculations of the ground state also support uniform atomic displacements predicted by powder diffraction studies. All these observations suggest that the structural modulation in the martensite phase of Ni2Mn1.4In0.6 MSMA can be explained in terms of the adaptive phase model. The present study underlines the importance of superspace group analysis using complimentary SXRPD and NPD in understanding the physics of the origin of modulation as well as the magnetic and the modulated ground states of the Heusler type MSMAs. Our work also highlights the fact that the mechanism responsible for the origin of modulated structure in different Ni-Mn based MSMAs may not be universal and it must be investigated thoroughly in different alloy compositions.
We have performed a series of measurements on the low temperature behavior of a magnetic nano-particle system. Our results show striking memory effects in the dc magnetization. Dipolar interactions among the nano-particles {em suppress} the memory effect. We explain this phenomenon by the superposition of different super paramagnetic relaxation times of single domain magnetic nano- particles. Moreover, we observe a crossover in the temperature dependence of coercivity. We show that a dilute dispersion of particles with a flat size distribution yields the best memory.