Hyperbolic Bloch points in ferrimagnetic exchange spring

Abstract

Bloch points in magnetic materials are attractive entities in view of magnetic information transport. Here, Bloch point configuration has been investigated and experimentally determined in a magnetic trilayer (Gd12Co88/Nd17Co83/Gd24Co76) with carefully adjusted composition within the ferrimagnetic GdxCo1-x alloys in order to engineer saturation magnetization, exchange length, and interlayer couplings (ferromagnetic vs antiferromagnetic). X-ray vector magnetic tomography has allowed us to determine experimentally Bloch point polarity (related to topological charge) and Bloch point helicity γ (determined by magnetostatic energy). At the bottom layer (close to the ferromagnetic interface), Bloch points adopt a standard circulating configuration with helicity γ close to π/2. Within the top layer (with much lower saturation magnetization), Bloch points nucleate within a Neel-like exchange spring domain wall created by the antiferromagnetic coupling and adopt an uncommon hyperbolic configuration, characterized by much larger helicity angles. Our results indicate a path for Bloch point engineering in future applications adjusting material parameters and domain wall characteristics.

Keywords

• X-ray vector magnetic tomography
• Bloch points
• Nanoscale magnetic textures
• Magnetic multilayer
• Micromagnetism