Berlin 2008 – scientific programme
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MA: Fachverband Magnetismus
MA 11: Spindependent Transportphenomena II
MA 11.2: Talk
Monday, February 25, 2008, 15:30–15:45, H 0112
Field- and current-induced single domain wall motion in Permalloy nanowires — Philipp Möhrke1, Thomas Moore1, •Mathias Kläui1, Stephen Krzyk1, Dirk Backes1,2, Laura Heyderman2, and Ulrich Rüdiger1 — 1Fachbereich Physik, Universität Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany — 2Paul Scherrer Institut, 5232 Villingen PSI, Switzerland
Current-induced domain wall (DW) motion in ferromagnetic nanowires has been found to be a stochastic process. Therefore single shot measurements, rather than static imaging or averaging techniques, are needed in order to gain a full understanding of this phenomenon.
We present measurements of field- and current-induced single DW dynamics in Permalloy (Ni80Fe20) nanowires (thickness ∼20 nm, width down to 400 nm) by nanosecond time-resolved focused MOKE. The velocity of an individual DW is captured at various positions on the nanowire. By repeatedly preparing and probing a DW of specific spin structure, velocity distributions with high statistics are gathered. The most probable velocity in 1500 nm wide wires measured at a location 10 µm from the starting position at fields close to the depinning field of ∼10 G was ∼70 m/s, but velocities up to a few 100 m/s occur. The velocity distributions allow quantitative information about the DW motion to be extracted, such as the variation of the pinning field amplitude along the wire or the fluctuation of the DW velocity.
Support by the DPG within the SPP1133 and the EU (Human Resources
and Mobility Programme) is acknowledged.