No Arabic abstract
Active manipulation of spin waves is essential for the development of magnon-based technologies. Here, we demonstrate programmable spin-wave filtering by resetting the spin structure of a pinned 90$^circ$ N{e}el domain wall in a continuous CoFeB film with abrupt rotations of uniaxial magnetic anisotropy. Using phase-resolved micro-focused Brillouin light scattering and micromagnetic simulations, we show that broad 90$^circ$ head-to-head or tail-to-tail magnetic domain walls are transparent to spin waves over a broad frequency range. In contrast, magnetic switching to a 90$^circ$ head-to-tail configuration produces much narrower domain walls at the same pinning locations. Spin waves are strongly reflected by a resonance mode in these magnetic domain walls. Based on these results, we propose a magnetic spin-wave valve with two parallel domain walls. Switching the spin-wave valve from an open to a close state changes the transmission of spin waves from nearly 100% to 0% at the resonance frequency. This active control over spin-wave transport could be utilized in magnonic logic devices or non-volatile memory elements.
We investigate ferrimagnetic domain wall dynamics induced by circularly polarized spin waves theoretically and numerically. We find that the direction of domain wall motion depends on both the circular polarization of spin waves and the sign of net spin density of ferrimagnet. Below the angular momentum compensation point, left- (right-) circularly polarized spin waves push a domain wall towards (away from) the spin-wave source. Above the angular momentum compensation point, on the other hand, the direction of domain wall motion is reversed. This bidirectional motion originates from the fact that the sign of spin-wave-induced magnonic torque depends on the circular polarization and the subsequent response of the domain wall to the magnonic torque is governed by the net spin density. Our finding provides a way to utilize a spin wave as a versatile driving force for bidirectional domain wall motion.
We present experimental results on the displacement of a domain wall by injection of a dc current through the wall. The samples are 1 micron wide long stripes of a CoO/Co/Cu/NiFe classical spin valve structure. The stripes have been patterned by electron beam lithography. A neck has been defined at 1/3 of the total length of the stripe and is a pinning center for the domain walls, as shown by the steps of the giant magnetoresistance curves at intermediate levels (1/3 or 2/3) between the resistances corresponding to the parallel and antiparallel configurations. We show by electric transport measurements that, once a wall is trapped, it can be moved by injecting a dc current higher than a threshold current of the order of magnitude of 10^7 A/cm^2. We discuss the different possible origins of this effect, i.e. local magnetic field created by the current and/or spin transfer from spin polarized current.
Current induced domain wall (DW) motion in perpendicularly magnetized nanostripes in the presence of spin orbit torques is studied. We show using micromagnetic simulations that the direction of the current induced DW motion and the associated DW velocity depend on the relative values of the field like torque (FLT) and the Slonczewski like torques (SLT). The results are well explained by a collective coordinate model which is used to draw a phase diagram of the DW dynamics as a function of the FLT and the SLT. We show that a large increase in the DW velocity can be reached by a proper tuning of both torques.
Electric current exerts torques-so-called spin transfer torques (STTs)-on magnetic domain walls (DWs), resulting in DW motion. At low current densities, the STTs should compete against disorders in ferromagnetic nanowires but the nature of the competition remains poorly understood. By achieving two-dimensional contour maps of DW speed with respect to current density and magnetic field, here we visualize unambiguously distinct roles of the two STTs-adiabatic and nonadiabatic-in scaling behaviour of DW dynamics arising from the competition. The contour maps are in excellent agreement with predictions of a generalized scaling theory, and all experimental data collapse onto a single curve. This result indicates that the adiabatic STT becomes dominant for large current densities, whereas the nonadiabatic STT-playing the same role as a magnetic field-subsists at low current densities required to make emerging magnetic nanodevices practical.
We report on the direct observation of spin wave and elastic wave emission from magnetic domain walls in ferromagnetic thin films. Driven by alternating homogeneous magnetic fields the magnetic domain walls act as coherent magnetisation wave sources. Directional and low damped elastic waves below and above the ferromagnetic resonance are excited. The wave vector of the magnetoelastically induced acoustic shear waves is linearly tuned by varying the excitation frequency. Domain wall emitted magnetostatic surface spin waves occur at higher frequencies, which characteristics are confirmed by micromagnetic simulations. The distinct modes of magnetisation wave excitation from micromagnetic objects are a general physical phenomenon relevant for dynamic magnetisation processes in structured magnetic films. Magnetic domain walls can act as reconfigurable antennas for spin wave and elastic wave generation with control of the wave orientation.