On the discrimination between nucleation and propagation in nanomagnetic logic devices

Abstract

In this paper we present the extensive nucleation and propagation characterization of fabricated nanomagnets by applying ns-range magnetic field pulses. For that, an artificial nucleation center (ANC) is created by focused ion beam irradiation (FIB) of a 50 x 50 nm area at the side of a Co/Pt island as typically used in Nanomagnetic Logic with perpendicular anisotropy (pNML). Laser-Kerr Microscope is applied for statistical evaluation of the switching probability of the whole magnet, while the wide-field-Kerr microscopy is employed to discriminate between the nucleation process (which takes place at the irradiated ANC area) and the domain wall propagation process along the magnet. We show that the nanomagnet can be treated as a single Stoner-Wolfhart particle above 100 ns field-pulse width, as the whole magnetization is switched during the field-pulse. By contrary, for field-pulse width below 100 ns, the domain wall (DW) motion is the limiting process hindering full magnetization reversal on that time-scale. However, the nucleation still follows the Arrhenius law. The results allow precise understanding of the reversal process and highlight the need for faster DW speed in pNML materials.