Controlled switching of ferromagnetic wire junctions by domain wall injection

Abstract

The switching of submicrometer ferromagnetic wire junctions is investigated by controlled injection of domain walls (DWs). A three-terminal continuous Ni/sub 80/Fe/sub 20/ structure is described, consisting of two input wires and one output wire. Separate structures were fabricated by focused ion beam (FIB) milling, to inject either zero, one, or two DWs to the junction inputs. Introduction of DWs to the junction was performed using one or two DW injection pads with low switching fields. Hysteresis loops measured by magnetooptical Kerr effect (MOKE) magnetometry on the device output wires showed the coercivity of the output is strongly dependent on the number of DWs incident at the junction. By injecting either one or two DWs into the junction, it is possible to switch the output wire at two distinct field values, each markedly lower than the nucleation field of the junction. Results presented are relevant to the future development of spintronics DW logic systems, and for fundamental studies into DW resistance and interaction between DWs and wire morphology.