ABSTRACT
One fundamental obstacle to efficient ferromagnetic spintronics is magnetic precession, which intrinsically limits the dynamics of magnetic textures. We experimentally demonstrate that this precession vanishes when the net angular momentum is compensated in domain walls driven by spin-orbit torque in a ferrimagnetic GdFeCo/Pt track. We use transverse in-plane fields to provide a robust and parameter-free measurement of the domain wall internal magnetisation angle, demonstrating that, at the angular compensation, the DW tilt is zero, and thus the magnetic precession that caused it is suppressed. Our results highlight the mechanism of faster and more efficient dynamics in materials with multiple spin lattices and vanishing net angular momentum, promising for high-speed, low-power spintronic applications.
ABSTRACT
Among the variety of magnetic textures available in nature, antiferromagnetism is one of the most 'discrete' because of the exact cancellation of its staggered internal magnetization. It is therefore very challenging to probe. However, its insensitivity to external magnetic perturbations, together with the intrinsic sub-picosecond dynamics, make it very appealing for tomorrow's information technologies. Thus, it is essential to understand the microscopic mechanisms governing antiferromagnetic domains to achieve accurate manipulation and control. Using optical second-harmonic generation, a unique and laboratory-available tool, we succeeded in imaging with sub-micrometre resolution both electric and antiferromagnetic orders in the model multiferroic BiFeO3. We show here that antiferromagnetic domains can be manipulated with low power consumption, using sub-coercive electric fields and sub-picosecond light pulses. Interestingly, we also show that antiferromagnetic and ferroelectric domains can behave independently, thus revealing that magneto-electric coupling can lead to various arrangements of the two orders.
