Eur. Phys. J. B (2016) 89: 169
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2016-70226-0

Regular Article

Mechanically driven domain wall movement in magnetoelastic nanomagnets

¹ International Associated Laboratory LEMAC/LICS: IEMN, UMR CNRS 8520, ComUE Lille Nord de France, ECLille, Avenue Poincaré, 59652 Villeneuve d’Ascq, France
² Wave Research Center, Prokhorov General Physics Institute, Russian Academy of Science, 38 Vavilov str., 119991 Moscow, Russia

^a e-mail: Stefano.Giordano@iemn.univ-lille1.fr

Received: 12 April 2016
Received in final form: 3 June 2016
Published online: 18 July 2016

Abstract

Magnetic domain walls are fundamental objects arising in ferromagnetic materials, largely investigated both through micromagnetic simulations and experiments. While current- and field-based techniques for inducing domain wall propagation have been widely studied for fundamental understanding and application-oriented purposes, the possibility to manipulate domain walls using mechanical stress in magnetoelastic materials has only recently drawn interest. Here, a complete analytical model describing stress-induced transverse domain wall movement in ferromagnetic nanostripe with variable cross-section is presented. This approach yields a nonlinear integro-differential equation describing the magnetization field. Its numerical implementation, based on the nonlinear relaxation method, demonstrates the possibility to precisely control the position of a domain wall through mechanical action.