Mathias Kläui

Large-Scale Synthesis of Single-Crystalline Iron Oxide Magnetic Nanorings

We present an innovative approach to the production of single-crystal iron oxide nanorings employing a solution-based route. Single-crystal hematite (alpha-Fe2O3) nanorings were synthesized using a double anion-assisted hydrothermal method (involving phosphate and sulfate ions), which can be divided into two stages: (1) formation of capsule-shaped alpha-Fe2O3 nanoparticles and (2) preferential dissolution along the long dimension of the elongated nanoparticles (the c axis of alpha-Fe2O3) to form nanorings. The shape of the nanorings is mainly regulated by the adsorption of phosphate ions on faces parallel to c axis of alpha-Fe2O3 during the nanocrystal growth, and the hollow structure is given by the preferential dissolution of the alpha-Fe2O3 along the c axis due to the strong coordination of the sulfate ions. By varying the ratios of phosphate and sulfate ions to ferric ions, we were able to control the size, morphology, and surface architecture to produce a variety of three-dimensional hollow nanostructures. These can then be converted to magnetite (Fe3O4) and maghemite (gamma-Fe2O3) by a reduction or reduction-oxidation process while preserving the same morphology. The structures and magnetic properties of these single-crystal alpha-Fe2O3, Fe3O4, and gamma-Fe2O3 nanorings were characterized by various analytical techniques. Employing off-axis electron holography, we observed the classical single-vortex magnetic state in the thin magnetite nanorings, while the thicker rings displayed an intriguing three-dimensional magnetic configuration. This work provides an easily scaled-up method for preparing tailor-made iron oxide nanorings that could meet the demands of a variety of applications ranging from medicine to magnetoelectronics.

Observation of room-temperature magnetic skyrmions and their current-driven dynamics in ultrathin metallic ferromagnets

Magnetic skyrmions are topologically protected spin textures that exhibit fascinating physical behaviours and large potential in highly energy-efficient spintronic device applications. The main obstacles so far are that skyrmions have been observed in only a few exotic materials and at low temperatures, and fast current-driven motion of individual skyrmions has not yet been achieved. Here, we report the observation of stable magnetic skyrmions at room temperature in ultrathin transition metal ferromagnets with magnetic transmission soft X-ray microscopy. We demonstrate the ability to generate stable skyrmion lattices and drive trains of individual skyrmions by short current pulses along a magnetic racetrack at speeds exceeding 100 m s(-1) as required for applications. Our findings provide experimental evidence of recent predictions and open the door to room-temperature skyrmion spintronics in robust thin-film heterostructures.

Direct Observation of Domain-Wall Configurations Transformed by Spin Currents

Direct observations of current-induced domain-wall propagation by spin-polarized scanning electron microscopy are reported. Current pulses move head-to-head as well as tail-to-tail walls in submicrometer Fe20Ni80 wires in the direction of the electron flow, and a decay of the wall velocity with the number of injected current pulses is observed. High-resolution images of the domain walls reveal that the wall spin structure is transformed from a vortex to a transverse configuration with subsequent pulse injections. The change in spin structure is directly correlated with the decay of the velocity.

The 2014 Magnetism Roadmap

Magnetism is a very fascinating and dynamic field. Especially in the last 30 years it has experienced many major advances in the full range from novel fundamental phenomena to new products. Applications such as hard disk drives and magnetic sensors are part of our daily life, and new applications, such as in non-volatile computer random access memory, are expected to surface shortly. Thus it is timely for describing the current status, and current and future challenges in the form of a Roadmap article. This 2014 Magnetism Roadmap provides a view on several selected, currently very active innovative developments. It consists of 12 sections, each written by an expert in the field and addressing a specific subject, with strong emphasize on future potential. This Roadmap cannot cover the entire field. We have selected several highly relevant areas without attempting to provide a full review - a future update will have room for more topics. The scope covers mostly nano-magnetic phenomena and applications, where surfaces and interfaces provide additional functionality. New developments in fundamental topics such as interacting nano-elements, novel magnon-based spintronics concepts, spin-orbit torques and spin-caloric phenomena are addressed. New materials, such as organic magnetic materials and permanent magnets are covered. New applications are presented such as nano-magnetic logic, non-local and domain-wall based devices, heat-assisted magnetic recording, magnetic random access memory, and applications in biotechnology. May the Roadmap serve as a guideline for future emerging research directions in modern magnetism.

Vortex formation in narrow ferromagnetic rings

The high-symmetry ring geometry is shown to exhibit a wide range of intriguing magnetostatic and magnetodynamic properties, which we survey in this topical review. We consider first the patterning and deposition techniques, which are used to fabricate ring structures (diameters between 0.1 and 2??m) and discuss their respective advantages and disadvantages. The results of direct nanoscale imaging of the novel magnetization configurations present in rings with different geometrical parameters (including discs) are discussed. These results give valuable insight into the influence of the magnetic anisotropies governing the magnetic states. The different types of domain walls that arise are compared quantitatively to micromagnetic simulations. The magnetodynamic switching between the different magnetic states is described in detail. In particular we elaborate on the different geometry-dependent magnetic switchings, since the different transitions occurring allow us to determine which energy terms govern the reversal process. We discuss a process by which fast (sub-ns) and controlled switching can be achieved, therefore making rings an attractive geometry for applications, in addition to studying fundamental issues of nanomagnetism.

Domain wall motion induced by spin polarized currents in ferromagnetic ring structures

We present an experimental study of the influence of spin-polarized currents on the displacement of domain walls in submicrometer permalloy ring structures. Using magnetoresistance (MR) measurements with multiple nonmagnetic contacts, we can sense the displacement of a domain wall and, by injecting large dc current densities (1011 A/m2), we can increase or decrease the magnetic field needed to move a single domain wall, depending on the direction of the current with respect to the applied field direction. Using rings with and without notches and by measuring the MR with the magnetic field applied along different directions, we show that we can exclude the possibility that the dominating effect is a classical Oersted field. We conclude that our observations can be explained by a directional spin torque effect.

Head-to-head domain walls in magnetic nanostructures

A review of geometrically confined 180° head-to-head domain walls is presented. The spin structures of head-to-head domain walls are systematically determined by direct imaging and magnetotransport, and quantitative domain wall type phase diagrams are obtained and compared with available theoretical predictions and micromagnetic simulations. Discrepancies to the experiment are explained by taking into account thermal excitations, and thermally-induced domain wall type transformations are observed. The coupling between domain walls via the stray field leads to changes in the wall spin structure and the stray field intensity from a wall is found to decrease as 1/r with distance. Using the measured stray field values, the energy barrier height distribution for the nucleation of a vortex core is obtained. The pinning behaviour of domain walls at geometrical variations is discussed in detail and direct quantitative measurements of the width and depth of attractive potential wells responsible for the pinning are given. Dynamic measurements of resonant wall oscillations yield the exact shape of the potential well. Finally the domain wall propagation due to field and current is briefly discussed.

Vortex circulation control in mesoscopic ring magnets

We present a simple method to control the direction of the circulation of the magnetization in mesoscopic ring magnets, using a uniform magnetic field only. The method is based on the nucleation free switching which occurs when the rings switch from the near-saturated state, referred to as the “onion state,” to the flux-closed vortex state. Two possible onion states, forward or reverse magnetized, are possible for a given direction of the magnetic field. Going from the forward or the backward onion state, both local scanning Kerr microscopy measurements and micromagnetic simulations show that the clockwise or the counterclockwise vortex state, respectively, can be selected due to asymmetric pinning of the two domain walls that are present in the onion state.

Switching field phase diagram of Co nanoring magnets

We have studied the magnetic switching behavior of arrays of Co ring elements as a function of film thickness (2⩽t⩽32 nm), ring width (0.15⩽w⩽0.7 μm), and external diameter (0.5⩽D⩽2.0 μm), using magneto-optical Kerr effect magnetometry. For thick rings, two stable magnetic states are observed, a high remanence state (called the “onion” state) and a low remanence state (called the vortex state). The switching field for the transition from the onion to the vortex state increases with increasing thickness t and external diameter D, and with decreasing width w. In particular, for thin rings, the switching occurs between the two oppositely magnetized onion states, i.e., no vortex states develop during the reversal process. The transition between these two regimes depends on the diameter and width of the rings, and phase diagrams for the dependence of the switching behavior on the geometric parameters are presented. The switching behavior is discussed in terms of the competition between the exchange and magneto...

Direct observation of half-metallicity in the Heusler compound Co2MnSi

Ferromagnetic thin films of Heusler compounds are highly relevant for spintronic applications owing to their predicted half-metallicity, that is, 100% spin polarization at the Fermi energy. However, experimental evidence for this property is scarce. Here we investigate epitaxial thin films of the compound Co2MnSi in situ by ultraviolet-photoemission spectroscopy, taking advantage of a novel multi-channel spin filter. By this surface sensitive method, an exceptionally large spin polarization of () % at room temperature is observed directly. As a more bulk sensitive method, additional ex situ spin-integrated high energy X-ray photoemission spectroscopy experiments are performed. All experimental results are compared with advanced band structure and photoemission calculations which include surface effects. Excellent agreement is obtained with calculations, which show a highly spin polarized bulk-like surface resonance ingrained in a half metallic bulk band structure.