Generalized analysis of thermally activated domain-wall motion in Co/Pt multilayers

JOURNAL OF MAGNETISM AND MAGNETIC MATERIALS

卷:378

Article

Emori, Satoru^1,2  Umachi, Chinedum K.¹  Bono, David C.¹  Beach, Geoffrey S. D.¹ 

[1] MIT, Dept Mat Sci & Engn, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA

[2] Northeastern Univ, Dept Elect & Comp Engn, Boston, MA 02115 USA

关键词: Domain wall;    Thermally activated dynamics;    Scaling analysis;    Spin torque;    Ultrathin film;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.jmmm.2014.10.147

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

Thermally activated domain-wall (DW) motion driven by magnetic field and electric current is investigated experimentally in out-of-plane magnetized Pt(Co/Pt)(3) multilayers. We directly extract the thermal activation energy barrier for DW motion and observe the dynamic regimes of creep, depinning, and viscous flow. Further analysis reveals that the activation energy must be corrected with a factor dependent on the Curie temperature, and we derive a generalized Arrhenius-like equation governing thermally activated motion. By using this generalized equation, we quantify the efficiency of current-induced spin torque in assisting DW motion. Current produces no effect aside from joule heating in the multilayer with 7-angstrom thick Co layers, whereas it generates a finite spin torque on DWs in the multilayer with atomically thin 3-angstrom Co layers. These findings suggest that conventional spin-transfer torques from in-plane spin-polarized current do not drive DWs in ultrathin Co/Pt multilayers. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

【 授权许可】

Free