Transverse and vortex domain wall structure in magnetic nanowires with uniaxial in-plane anisotropy

Abstract

Micromagnetic and analytical models are used to investigate how in-plane uniaxial anisotropy affects transverse and vortex domain walls in nanowires where shape anisotropy dominates. The effect of the uniaxial anisotropy can be interpreted as a modification of the effective wire dimensions. When the anisotropy axis is aligned with the wire axis (θa = 0), the wall width is narrower than when no anisotropy is present. Conversely, the wall width increases when the anisotropy axis is perpendicular to the wire axis (θa = π/2). The anisotropy also affects the nanowire dimensions at which transverse walls become unstable. This phase boundary shifts to larger widths or thicknesses when θa = 0, but smaller widths or thicknesses when θa = π/2.