Eur. Phys. J. B (2013) 86: 97
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2013-30926-5

Regular Article

Modification of domain-wall propagation in Co nanowires via Ga⁺ irradiation^*

¹ Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Aragón, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Zaragoza-CSIC, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
² Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
³ TFM Group, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, JJ Thomson Avenue, CB3 0HE, Cambridge, UK
⁴ Laboratorio de Microscopías Avanzadas (LMA), Instituto de Nanociencia de Aragón (INA), Universidad de Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
⁵ Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 94720 Berkeley, USA

^a e-mail: deteresa@unizar.es

Received: 11 October 2012
Received in final form: 26 December 2012
Published online: 13 March 2013

Abstract

The propagation of domain walls in polycrystalline Co nanowires grown by focused-electron-beam-induced deposition is explored. We have found that Ga⁺ irradiation via focused ion beam is a suitable method to modify the propagation field of domain walls in magnetic conduits. Magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements show that global Ga⁺ irradiation of the nanowires increases the domain-wall propagation field. Additionally, we have observed by means of scanning transmission X-ray microscopy that it is possible to produce substantial domain-wall pinning via local Ga⁺ irradiation of a narrow region of the nanowire. In both cases, Ga⁺ doses of the order of 10¹⁶ ions/cm² are required to produce such effects. These results pave the way for the controlled manipulation of domain walls in Co nanowires via Ga⁺ irradiation.