Dresden 2011 – scientific programme

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MA: Fachverband Magnetismus

MA 63: Poster II (Surface Magnetism/ Magnetic Imaging/ Topological Insulators/ Spin Structures and Magnetic Phase Transitions/ Graphene/ Magnetic Thin Films/ Magnetic Semiconductors/ Magnetic Half-metals and Oxides/ Spin-dependent Transport/ Spin Excitations and Spin Torque/ Spin Injection and Spin Currents in Heterostructures/ Spintronics/ Magnetic Storage and Applications)

MA 63.80: Poster

Friday, March 18, 2011, 11:00–14:00, P2

Controlling the resistance of a micro-/nanostructured GMR device with current induced domain wall motion — •Jana Münchenberger, Jonathan Fetting, Patryk Krzysteczko, Günter Reiss, and Andy Thomas — Bielefeld University, Department of Thin Films and Physics of Nanostructures, Universitätsstr. 25 33615 Bielefeld

We investigated the possibility to control the resistance of a structured Giant Magnetoresistance (GMR) system via current induced domain wall motion. For a narrow spin valve structure current induced domain wall motion in the free layer is predicted as soon as the current density reaches a critical threshold. The resistance of the device then depends on the position of the domain wall. The GMR systems we investigated were kindly provided by Infineon and show a GMR ratio of 10% as prepared. They were structured with e-beam lithography and ion beam etching. We fabricated narrow stripes of varying length (between 100 and 25µm) and a width of 200nm with a diamond shaped domain wall nucleation pad. The samples were measured with four-point-method and a constant current source. We measure GMR ratios up to 8% in the stripes. The GMR curves also showed steps indicating the existence of domain walls. To switch the sample between the different resistance states a current is applied to the device at a small magnetic field.