https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2015-60421-x
Regular Article
Vortex-assisted domain wall depinning and propagation in notched nanowires
1 Physics Department, The Hong Kong
University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, P.R.
China
2 HKUST Shenzhen Research Institute,
Shenzhen
518057, P.R.
China
a
e-mail: phxwan@ust.hk
Received:
29
December
2014
Received in final form:
27
May
2015
Published online:
2
September
2015
Various notches are often introduced in spintronics to trap a domain wall (DW). Common wisdom would expect notches to strengthen DW pinning and to hinder DW motion. Interestingly, our simulations show that notches help electric current to depin a DW with the assistance of vortex generation. The DW displacement is insensitive to notch geometry and current density. This phenomenon is explained by the Thiele equation. Moreover, a current density below the intrinsic threshold value, which is the minimum current to sustain continuous DW motion in a uniform nanowire, can induce a continuous DW propagation along a wire with a series of notches.
Key words: Solid State and Materials
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag, 2015