Control and influence of domain wall chirality in Artificial Spin Ice

ORAL

Abstract

Artificial Spin Ice, comprising ferromagnetic nanobars arranged in a honeycomb geometry, is a directly imageable frustrated system which has demonstrated rich Physics. Its magnetic reversal is mediated by domain wall propagation in the presence of external magnetic fields. These domain walls carry magnetic charge and have a distinct structure or ``chirality,'' namely up or down in the transverse domain wall regime or clockwise or anticlockwise in the vortex domain wall regime. In this talk, both experimental Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscopy and micromagnetic simulations which suggest that the domain wall performs a non-random walk through Artificial Spin Ice due to its chirality are presented. In addition, the role of Walker Breakdown in both the transverse and vortex domain wall regimes is discussed. Furthermore, modes of controlling and measuring domain wall chirality are explored.

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Authors

  • Stephanie K. Walton

    • Imperial College London
    • Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK; London Centre for Nanotechnology, London WC1H 0AH, UK
    • Imperial College London, UK; London Center for Nanotechnology, UK

  • Katharina Zeissler

    • Imperial College London
    • Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK; London Centre for Nanotechnology, London WC1H 0AH, UK
    • Imperial College London, UK; London Center for Nanotechnology, UK

  • Sam Ladak

    • Cardiff University

  • Dan Read

    • Cardiff University

  • Tolek Tyliszczak

    • Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA
    • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
    • Lawrence Berkeley Natl Lab

  • Lesley Cohen

    • Imperial College London
    • Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK; London Centre for Nanotechnology, London WC1H 0AH, UK
    • Imperial College London, UK; London Center for Nanotechnology, UK

  • Will R. Branford

    • Imperial College London
    • Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK; London Centre for Nanotechnology, London WC1H 0AH, UK
    • Department of Physics, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, London SW72AZ, UK and London Centre for Nanotechnology
    • Imperial College London, UK; London Center for Nanotechnology, UK