Sampo J. Hämäläinen

Tunable short-wavelength spin wave excitation from pinned magnetic domain walls

Miniaturization of magnonic devices for wave-like computing requires emission of short-wavelength spin waves, a key feature that cannot be achieved with microwave antennas. In this paper, we propose a tunable source of short-wavelength spin waves based on highly localized and strongly pinned magnetic domain walls in ferroelectric-ferromagnetic bilayers. When driven into oscillation by a microwave spin-polarized current, the magnetic domain walls emit spin waves with the same frequency as the excitation current. The amplitude of the emitted spin waves and the range of attainable excitation frequencies depend on the availability of domain wall resonance modes. In this respect, pinned domain walls in magnetic nanowires are particularly attractive. In this geometry, spin wave confinement perpendicular to the nanowire axis produces a multitude of domain wall resonances enabling efficient spin wave emission at frequencies up to 100 GHz and wavelengths down to 20 nm. At high frequency, the emission of spin waves in magnetic nanowires becomes monochromatic. Moreover, pinning of magnetic domain wall oscillators onto the same ferroelectric domain boundary in parallel nanowires guarantees good coherency between spin wave sources, which opens perspectives towards the realization of Mach-Zehnder type logic devices and sensors.

Size dependence of domain pattern transfer in multiferroic heterostructures

Magnetoelectric coupling in multiferroic heterostructures can produce large lateral modulations of magnetic anisotropy enabling the imprinting of ferroelectric domains into ferromagnetic films. Exchange and magnetostatic interactions within ferromagnetic films oppose the formation of such domains. Using micromagnetic simulations and a one-dimensional model, we demonstrate that competing energies lead to the breakdown of domain pattern transfer below a critical domain size. Moreover, rotation of the magnetic field results in abrupt transitions between two scaling regimes with different magnetic anisotropy. The theoretical predictions are confirmed by experiments on CoFeB/BaTiO3 heterostructures.

Influence of elastically pinned magnetic domain walls on magnetization reversal in multiferroic heterostructures

In elastically coupled multiferroic heterostructures that exhibit full domain correlations between ferroelectric and ferromagnetic sub-systems, magnetic domain walls are firmly pinned on top of ferroelectric domain boundaries. In this work we investigate the influence of pinned magnetic domain walls on the magnetization reversal process in a Co40Fe40B20 wedge film that is coupled to a ferroelectric BaTiO3 substrate via interface strain transfer. We show that the magnetic field direction can be used to select between two distinct magnetization reversal mechanisms, namely (1) double switching events involving alternate stripe domains at a time or (2) synchronized switching of all domains. Furthermore, scaling of the switching fields with domain width and film thickness is also found to depend on field orientation. These results are explained by considering the dissimilar energies of the two types of pinned magnetic domain walls that are formed in the system.

Exchange-torque-induced excitation of perpendicular standing spin waves in nanometer-thick YIG films

Spin waves in ferrimagnetic yttrium iron garnet (YIG) films with ultralow magnetic damping are relevant for magnon-based spintronics and low-power wave-like computing. The excitation frequency of spin waves in YIG is rather low in weak external magnetic fields because of its small saturation magnetization, which limits the potential of YIG films for high-frequency applications. Here, we demonstrate how exchange-coupling to a CoFeB film enables efficient excitation of high-frequency perpendicular standing spin waves (PSSWs) in nanometer-thick (80 nm and 295 nm) YIG films using uniform microwave magnetic fields. In the 295-nm-thick YIG film, we measure intense PSSW modes up to 10th order. Strong hybridization between the PSSW modes and the ferromagnetic resonance mode of CoFeB leads to characteristic anti-crossing behavior in broadband spin-wave spectra. We explain the excitation of PSSWs by exchange coupling between forced magnetization precessions in the YIG and CoFeB layers. If the amplitudes of these precessions are different, a dynamic exchange torque is generated, causing the emission of spin waves from the interface. PSSWs form when the wave vector of the spin waves matches a perpendicular confinement condition. PSSWs are not excited if exchange coupling between YIG and CoFeB is eliminated by a 10 nm Ta spacer layer. Micromagnetic simulations confirm the exchange-torque-driven mechanism.

Tunnelling anisotropic magnetoresistance at La0.67Sr0.33MnO3-graphene interfaces

Using ferromagnetic La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 electrodes bridged by single-layer graphene, we observe magnetoresistive changes of ∼32–35 MΩ at 5 K. Magneto-optical Kerr effect microscopy at the same temperature reveals that the magnetoresistance arises from in-plane reorientations of electrode magnetization, evidencing tunnelling anisotropic magnetoresistance at the La0.67Sr0.33MnO3-graphene interfaces. Large resistance switching without spin transport through the non-magnetic channel could be attractive for graphene-based magnetic-sensing applications.

Static properties and current-induced dynamics of pinned 90∘ magnetic domain walls under applied fields: An analytic approach

Magnetic domain walls are pinned strongly by abrupt changes in magnetic anisotropy. When driven into oscillation by a spin-polarized current, locally pinned domain walls can be exploited as tunable sources of short-wavelength spin waves. Here, we develop an analytical framework and discrete Heisenberg model to describe the static and dynamic properties of pinned domain walls with a head-to-tail magnetic structure. We focus on magnetic domain walls that are pinned by 90

Reversible electric-field-driven magnetic domain-wall motion

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Tunable Short-Wavelength Spin-Wave Emission and Confinement in Anisotropy-Modulated Multiferroic Heterostructures

rotations of uniaxial magnetic anisotropy. Our model captures the domain wall response to a spin-transfer torque that is exerted by an electric current. Model predictions of the domain wall resonance frequency and its evolution with magnetic anisotropy strength and external magnetic field are compared to micromagnetic simulations.