Kang Wei Chou

Magnetic vortex core reversal by excitation with short bursts of an alternating field

The vortex state, characterized by a curling magnetization, is one of the equilibrium configurations of soft magnetic materials and occurs in thin ferromagnetic square and disk-shaped elements of micrometre size and below. The interplay between the magnetostatic and the exchange energy favours an in-plane, closed flux domain structure. This curling magnetization turns out of the plane at the centre of the vortex structure, in an area with a radius of about 10 nanometres—the vortex core. The vortex state has a specific excitation mode: the in-plane gyration of the vortex structure about its equilibrium position. The sense of gyration is determined by the vortex core polarization. Here we report on the controlled manipulation of the vortex core polarization by excitation with small bursts of an alternating magnetic field. The vortex motion was imaged by time-resolved scanning transmission X-ray microscopy. We demonstrate that the sense of gyration of the vortex structure can be reversed by applying short bursts of the sinusoidal excitation field with amplitude of about 1.5 mT. This reversal unambiguously indicates a switching of the out-of-plane core polarization. The observed switching mechanism, which can be understood in the framework of micromagnetic theory, gives insights into basic magnetization dynamics and their possible application in data storage.

Time-resolved X-ray microscopy of spin-torque-induced magnetic vortex gyration

Time-resolved x-ray microscopy is used to image the influence of alternating high-density currents on the magnetization dynamics of ferromagnetic vortices. Spin-torque-induced vortex gyration is observed in micrometer-sized permalloy squares. The phases of the gyration in structures with different chirality are compared to an analytical model and micromagnetic simulations, considering both alternating spin-polarized currents and the currents Oersted field. In our case the driving force due to spin-transfer torque is about 70% of the total excitation while the remainder originates from the currents Oersted field. This finding has implications to magnetic storage devices using spin-torque driven magnetization switching and domain-wall motion.

Spatially resolved ferromagnetic resonance: Imaging of ferromagnetic eigenmodes

Fast magnetization dynamics of ferromagnetic elements on sub-micron length scales is currently attracting substantial scientific interest. Studying the ferromagnetic eigenmodes in such systems provides valuable information in order to trace back the dynamical response to the underlying micromagnetic properties. The inherent time structure of third generation synchrotron sources allows for time-resolved imaging (time resolution: 70–100 ps) of magnetization dynamics at soft x-ray microscopes (lateral resolution down to 20 nm). Stroboscopic pump-and-probe experiments were performed on micron-sized Permalloy samples at a full-field magnetic transmission x-ray microscope (XM-1, beamline 6.1.2) at the ALS at Berkeley, CA. Complementary to these time-domain experiments a frequency-domain “spatially resolved ferromagnetic resonance” (SR-FMR) technique was applied to magnetic x-ray microscopy. In contrast to time-domain measurements which reflect a broadband excitation of the magnetization, the frequency-domain SR...

Vortex dynamics in coupled ferromagnetic multilayer structures

Magnetization dynamics in ferromagnetic multilayer structures was studied by time-resolved transmission x-ray microscopy. A square-shaped 1×1μm2 trilayer structure consisting of Co(20nm)∕Cu(10nm)∕Permalloy Ni80Fe20(20nm) was investigated. Each ferromagnetic layer showed a Landau-like domain configuration with a single vortex. A gyrotropic vortex motion was excited by an in-plane magnetic field alternating at a frequency of 250 MHz. The movement of the magnetic vortex in each individual magnetic layer was imaged by taking advantage of the element specificity of the x-ray magnetic circular dichroism. A 180° phase shift between the gyrotropic vortex motion in the Permalloy and the Co layer was observed. This phase shift can be ascribed to the magnetic coupling between the layers.

Direct observation of the vortex core magnetization and its dynamics

Square-shaped thin film structures with a single magnetic vortex were investigated using a scanning transmission x-ray microscope. The authors report on the direct observation of the vortex core in 500×500nm2, 40nm thick soft magnetic Ni–Fe samples. The static configuration of the vortex core was imaged as well as the gyrotropic motion of the core under excitation with an in-plane alternating magnetic field. This enabled them to directly visualize the direction of the out-of-plane magnetization in the vortex core (up or down). The reversal of the core was effected by short bursts of an alternating magnetic field. An asymmetry appears in the core’s trajectory for its orientation pointing up and down, respectively.

Vortex dynamics in Permalloy disks with artificial defects: suppression of the gyrotropic mode

The dynamics of magnetic vortices in thin Permalloy disks having artificial defects in the form of small holes at different locations within the disk has been investigated by means of frequency-domain spatially resolved ferromagnetic resonance. It is found that the vortex can be effectively captured by such a defect. Consequently the commonly observed gyrotropic vortex motion in an applied microwave field of 1mT is suppressed. However, if in addition a static magnetic field of at least 4.3mT is applied, the vortex core is nucleated from the artificial defect and a modified gyrotropic motion starts again.

Direct imaging of current induced magnetic vortex gyration in an asymmetric potential well

Employing time-resolved x-ray microscopy, we investigate the dynamics of a pinned magnetic vortex domain wall in a magnetic nanowire. The gyrotropic motion of the vortex core is imaged in response to an exciting ac current. The elliptical vortex core trajectory at resonance reveals asymmetries in the local potential well that are correlated with the pinning geometry. Using the analytical model of a two-dimensional harmonic oscillator, we determine the resonance frequency of the vortex core gyration and, from the eccentricity of the vortex core trajectory at resonance, we can deduce the stiffness of the local potential well.