| Literature DB >> 30224700 |
Kyoung-Woong Moon1, Changsoo Kim1, Jungbum Yoon1, Jun Woo Choi2, Dong-Ok Kim2,3, Kyung Mee Song2,4, Dongseuk Kim1, Byong Sun Chun1, Chanyong Hwang5.
Abstract
Current-induced magnetic domain wall (DW) motion is an important operating principle of spintronic devices. Injected current generates spin torques (STs) on the DWs in two ways. One is the spin transfer from magnetic domains to the walls by the current flowing in the magnet. Current flow in attached heavy metals also generates another ST because of the spin-Hall effect. Both phenomena explain the wall motions well; therefore, their respective contribution is an important issue. Here, we show the simultaneous measurement of both torques by using magnetic facet domains that form mountain-shaped domains with straight walls. When the STs and the external magnetic field push the walls in opposite directions, the walls should have equilibrium angles to create balanced states. Such angles can be modulated by an additional in-plane magnetic field. Angle measurements distinguish the STs because each torque has a distinct mechanism related to the DW structure.Entities:
Year: 2018 PMID: 30224700 PMCID: PMC6141574 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06223-z
Source DB: PubMed Journal: Nat Commun ISSN: 2041-1723 Impact factor: 14.919
Fig. 1Two types of spin torque on magnetic domain walls. a An electric current I in the magnet feels the magnetization (m, pink arrows) variation at the DW that generates the SMT-induced magnetic field (HSMT). Here, m is a normalized vector. b The current in the attached heavy metal layer generates spin pumping into the magnet that produces the SOT-induced magnetic field (HSOT). σ is pumped spin direction (for more information on HSMT and HSOT, see Supplementary Note 1)
Fig. 2Facet domain formation. a Facet domain formation after nucleation at nucleation sites (white dashed circles). Current I = +0.15 A and the perpendicular field H = +4.1 Oe. Dark (light) gray represents –z (+z) magnetization. Insets show the magnetization states at different time. The scale bar is 10 µm. b Definition of two magnetization angle (φR and φL) of DWs. The yellow arrow shows the center direction of the facet domain. The red and blue arrows show alternative angle definitions for Φ+ and Φ–. c Facet angles with respect to H under a fixed current (I = +0.15 A). Error bars were obtained from more than five measurements. The red line is a linear fit and the possible error in the linear fit produces the uncertainty of HST. Insets show facet images at different values of H. d Mechanism of the SMT-only facet. The pink arrow indicates the magnetization direction. Red dashed lines show the DW width (Δ0). e Mechanism of the SOT-only facet. The DMI field (HDMI, green arrow) aligns the magnetization of DW (pink arrow at DW)
Fig. 3Tilting of the facet by additional H. a–d Tilted facets with different field directions under a fixed current (I = +0.15 A). H = (H,H,H) is the external magnetic field. |H| = 0.56 kOe, |H| = 0, and |H| = 3.5 Oe. Field directions are shown in the images as green arrows. Yellow arrows represent center direction of the facet domains. The scale bar is 50 µm. e Facet tilting versus H under a fixed current (I = +0.15 A). |H| are 2.0 (red circles), 2.7 (orange circles), 3.5 (green circles), 4.3 Oe (blue circles). The sign of H is positive (negative) for closed (open) circles. The gray lines are linear fits. Error bars were obtained from more than five measurements. f Tilting mechanism of the SMT-only facet at left (left panel) and right (right panel) sides of the facet. The white-lined green arrows are the parallel component of H to HDMI. g Tilting mechanism of the SOT-only facet at left (left panel) and right (right panel) sides of the facet. The sum of HDMI and H is aligned in the direction of DW magnetization (pink arrow at DW)
Fig. 4Sharpening of the facet by additional H. a–d Facets with different fields under a fixed current (|I| = 0.15 A). |H| = 0, |H| = 0.14 kOe, and |H| = 3.4 Oe. Field and current directions are shown in the images. The scale bar is 20 µm. e, Facet sharpening as a function of H. H are 1.3 (red circles), 3.4 (green circles), and 4.8 Oe (blue circles). I are +0.15 A for closed circles and −0.15 A for open circles. Error bars were obtained from more than five measurements. f Sharpening mechanism of the SMT-only facet at a left side of the facet under +H (left panel) and –H (right panel). g Sharpening mechanism of the SOT-only facet at a left side of the facet under +H (left panel) and –H (right panel)
Fig. 5Micromagnetic simulations. a–d Dark (light) gray represents –z (+z) magnetization. Red areas are strong defects (MS = 0). Green dashed lines represent the angle cos–1(H/HST). Yellow dashed lines show the angle rotated 4° from the green dashed lines. e Slopes of tilting. f Slopes of sharpening. Red circles are the data. Black dashed lines depict SOT-only and SMT-only cases. Green lines are linear interpolations between SOT-only and SMT-only cases. Insets show examples of the facet with HSOT/HST = 0.5, H = −0.04 T, and |H| = |H| = 0.04 T. Green arrows depict the direction of magnetic field
ST effects with Pt/CoFeB/Pt(x nm)/MgO stacks
| −11.8 ± 1.0 | −6.4 ± 0.1 | −4.0 ± 0.1 | |
| −15.4 ± 2.9b | −9.6 ± 0.6 | −5.7 ± 0.3 | |
| 3.6 ± 1.9a | 3.2 ± 0.7 | 1.7 ± 0.4 | |
| 3.1 ± 0.8b | 1.25 ± 0.12 | 0.47 ± 0.03 | |
| 6.4 ± 0.2 | 6.1 ± 0.3 | 2.2 ± 0.1 | |
| 0.5 ± 0.3b | 1.3 ± 0.8 | 0.24 ± 0.08 | |
| Temp. (K) | ~305 | ~320 | ~320 |
This table shows the ST efficiencies, related fields, and temperatures. The samples are Sub/Ta(3 nm)/Pt(3 nm)/Co40Fe40B20(0.9 nm)/Pt(x = 0.0 nm)/MgO(1.5 nm)/Ta(2 nm), Sub/Ta(3 nm)/Pt(3 nm)/Co40Fe40B20(0.9 nm)/Pt(x = 0.4 nm)/MgO(1.5 nm)/Ta(2 nm), and Sub/Ta(3 nm)/Pt(3 nm)/Co40Fe40B20 (0.9 nm)/Pt(x = 0.6 nm)/MgO(1.5 nm)/Ta(2 nm)/Pt (1.5 nm). εST( = HST/J), εSOT( = HSOT/J), and εSMT( = HSMT/J) are the spin torque efficiencies, where J is the current density. We assume a uniform current density in all layers except for the MgO layer.
aεSMT is an interpolated value from the values of x = 0.4 nm sample (see Supplementary Note 1).
bExpectation values obtained from εSMT, εST, and H