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
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.
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica and Springer-Verlag, 2013
