No abstract

Current induced domain wall motion (CIDWM) was studied in Pt/Co/Ta structures with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and the Dyzaloshinskii–Moriya interaction (DMI) by the spin-orbit torque (SOT). We measured the strength of DMI and SOT efficiency in Pt/Co/Ta with the variation of the thickness of Ta using a current induced hysteresis loop shift method. The results indicate that the DMI stabilizes a chiral Néel-type domain wall (DW), and the DW motion can be driven by the enhanced large SOT generated from Pt and Ta with opposite signs of spin Hall angle in Pt/Co/Ta stacks. The CIDWM velocity, which is 104 times larger than the field driven DW velocity, obeys a creep law, and reaches around tens of meters per second with current density of ~106 A cm−2. We also found that the Joule heating accompanied with current also accelerates the DW motion. Meanwhile, a domain wall tilting was observed, which increases with current density increasing. These results can be explained by the spin Hall effect generated from both heavy metals Pt and Ta, inherent DMI, and the current accompanying Joule heating effect. Our results could provide some new designing prospects to move multiple DWs by SOT for achieving racetrack memories.

No abstract

Magnetic trilayers having large perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) and high spinorbit torques (SOTs) efficiency are the key to fabricate nonvolatile magnetic memory and logic

The (011) Pb (Mg1/3Nb2/3)0.7Ti0.3O3 (PMN-PT)/Ni heterostructure was prepared, and the influence of light on magnetization reversal behaviors of the Ni layer was investigated. We found that the ferroelectric domain of the PMN-PT substrate was tuned by a photostrictive effect, and it further changes the magnetization state of the adjacent Ni layer. Additionally, with electric field polarization, the PMN-PT/Ni heterostructure exhibits controllable magnetization switching behaviors under the application of a proper light intensity. It provides a reliable way to manipulate the magnetization switching process, which is promising for the design and implementation of low power memory and spintronic devices.