Controlled domain wall pinning in nanowires with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy by localized fringing fields

Abstract

A novel approach to directly control the domain wall (DW) pinning in a magnetic wire with perpendicular anisotropy is presented. Propagating DWs are blocked in a notch by the fringing fields of nearby gate magnets. Theoretical calculations of controlled DW pinning are confirmed by micromagnetic simulations. Experiments using magnetic force microscopy (MFM) and magneto-optical microscopy prove the functionality of the device. The presented structure enables to control the DW propagation in magnetic interconnects in order to store and buffer magnetic domains and hence, to directly control the signal flow in magnetic logic circuitry.