Manipulation of Skyrmion Motion Dynamics for Logical Device Application Mediated by Inhomogeneous Magnetic Anisotropy

Magnetic skyrmions are promising potential information carriers for future spintronic devices owing to their nanoscale size, non-volatility and high mobility. In this work, we demonstrate the controlled manipulation of skyrmion motion and its implementation in a new concept of racetrack logical device by introducing an inhomogeneous perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) via micromagnetic simulation. Here, the inhomogeneous PMA can be introduced by a capping nano-island that serves as a tunable potential barriers/well which can effectively modulate the size and shape of isolated skyrmion. Using the inhomogeneous PMA in skyrmion-based racetrack enables the manipulation of skyrmion motion behaviors, for instance, blocking, trapping or allowing passing the injected skyrmion. In addition, the skyrmion trapping operation can be further exploited in developing special designed racetrack devices with logic AND and NOT, wherein a set of logic AND operations can be realized via skyrmion–skyrmion repulsion between two skyrmions. These results indicate an effective method for tailoring the skyrmion structures and motion behaviors by using inhomogeneous PMA, which further provide a new pathway to all-electric skyrmion-based memory and logic devices.

Ultrafast manipulation of magnetic anisotropy in a uniaxial intermetallic heterostructure TbCo2/FeCo

We study experimentally and theoretically the dynamics of spin relaxation motion excited by a femtosecond pulse in the TbCo2/FeCo multilayer structures with different ratios of TbCo2 to FeCo thicknesses rd = dTbCo2 / dFeCo. The main attribute of the structure is in-plane magnetic anisotropy artificially induced during sputtering under DC magnetic field. The optical pump-probe method revealed strongly damped high-frequency oscillations of the dynamical Kerr rotation angle, followed by its slow relaxation to the initial state. Modeling experimental results using the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert (LLG) equation showed that the observed entire dynamics is due to destruction and restoration of magnetic anisotropy rather than to demagnetization. For the pumping fluence of 7 mJ/cm2, the maximal photo-induced disruption of the anisotropy field is about 14% for the sample with rd = 1 and decreases when rd increases. The anisotropy relaxation is a three-stage process: the ultrafast one occurs within several picoseconds, and the slow one occurs on a nanosecond time scale. The Gilbert damping in the multilayers is found one order of magnitude higher than that in the constituent monolayers.

Compositional Dependence of Magnetocrystalline Anisotropy in Fe-, Co-, and Cu-Alloyed Ni-Mn-Ga

The key for the existence of magnetic induced reorientation is strong magnetocrystalline anisotropy, i.e., the coupling between ferroelastic and ferromagnetic ordering. To increase the transformation temperatures and thus functionality, various elemental alloying in Ni-Mn-Ga is tried. We analyzed more than twenty polycrystalline alloys alloyed by small amount (up to 5atom%) of transitional metals Co, Fe, Ni, and Cu for the value of magnetic anisotropy in search of general trends with alloying. In agreement with previous reports, we found that maximum anisotropy occurs at stoichiometric Ni2MnGa and any alloying decreases its value. The strongest decrease of the anisotropy is observed in the case where the alloyed elements substitute Ga.

Magnetoelastic constant of thin films determined by a four-point bending apparatus

We have developed a method to variably induce lattice strains and to quantitatively evaluate the induced magnetic anisotropy. Both tensile and compressive strains were introduced into epitaxial films of cobalt ferrite (CFO) grown on a single crystal MgO(001) substrate using a four-point bending apparatus made of a plastic material fabricated by a 3D printer. The change in magnetic anisotropy due to bending strain can be measured quantitatively by using the conventional magneto-torque meter. The strain-induced magnetic anisotropy increased with the tensile strain and decreased with the compressive strain as expected from a phenomenological magnetoelastic theory. The magnetoelastic constant obtained from the changes in bending strains shows quantitatively good agreement with that of the CFO films with a uniaxial epitaxial strain. This signifies that the magnetoelastic constant can be evaluated by measuring only one film sample with strains applied by using the bending apparatus.

Low-field Magnetic Anisotropy of Sr2IrO4

Magnetic anisotropy in strontium iridate (Sr2IrO4) is essential because of its strong spin–orbit coupling and crystal field effect. In this paper, we present a detailed mapping of the out-of-plane (OOP) magnetic anisotropy in Sr2IrO4 for different sample orientations using torque magnetometry measurements in the low-magnetic-field region before the isospins are completely ordered. Dominant in-plane anisotropy was identified at low fields, confirming the b axis as an easy magnetization axis. Based on the fitting analysis of the strong uniaxial magnetic anisotropy, we observed that the main anisotropic effect arises from a spin–orbit-coupled magnetic exchange interaction affecting the OOP interaction. The effect of interlayer exchange interaction results in additional anisotropic terms owing to the tilting of the isospins. The results are relevant for understanding OOP magnetic anisotropy and provide a new way to analyze the effects of spin–orbit-coupling and interlayer magnetic exchange interactions. This study provides insight into the understanding of bulk magnetic, magnetotransport, and spintronic behavior on Sr2IrO4 for future studies.