Ultralow-loss domain wall motion driven by a magnetocrystalline anisotropy gradient in an antiferromagnetic nanowire

Abstract

Searching for a new scheme to control the antiferromagnetic (AFM) domain wall is one of the most important issues for AFM spintronic devices. In this work, we study theoretically the domain wall motion of an AFM nanowire, driven by the axial anisotropy gradient generated by an external electric field and an electrocontrol of AFM domain wall motion in the merit of ultralow energy loss is demonstrated. The domain wall velocity depending on the anisotropy gradient magnitude and intrinsic material properties is simulated based on the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation and also deduced using the energy dissipation theorem. It is shown that the domain wall moves at a nearly constant speed for the small anisotropy gradient, and this motion is accelerated for the large gradient due to the enlarged domain wall width. While the domain wall mobility is independent of the lattice dimension and types of the domain wall, it can be enhanced by the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. In addition, the physical mechanism for much faster AFM wall dynamics than ferromagnetic wall dynamics is qualitatively explained. This work unveils a promising strategy for controlling the AFM domain walls, benefiting the future of AFM spintronic applications.