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Title: Optical manipulation of magnetic vortices visualized in situ by Lorentz electron microscopy

Abstract

By understanding the fundamental dynamics of topological vortex and antivortex naturally formed in microscale/nanoscale ferromagnetic building blocks under external perturbations is crucial to magnetic vortex–based information processing and spintronic devices. All previous studies have focused on magnetic vortex–core switching via external magnetic fields, spin-polarized currents, or spin waves, which have largely prohibited the investigation of novel spin configurations that could emerge from the ground states in ferromagnetic disks and their underlying dynamics. We report in situ visualization of femtosecond laser quenching–induced magnetic vortex changes in various symmetric ferromagnetic Permalloy disks by using Lorentz phase imaging of four-dimensional electron microscopy that enables in situ laser excitation. Besides the switching of magnetic vortex chirality and polarity, we observed with distinct occurrence frequencies a plenitude of complex magnetic structures that have never been observed by magnetic field– or current-assisted switching. These complex magnetic structures consist of a number of newly created topological magnetic defects (vortex and antivortex) strictly conserving the topological winding number, demonstrating the direct impact of topological invariants on magnetization dynamics in ferromagnetic disks. Their spin configurations show mirror or rotation symmetry due to the geometrical confinement of the disks. Combined micromagnetic simulations with the experimental observations reveal the underlying magnetizationmore » dynamics and formation mechanism of the optical quenching–induced complex magnetic structures. Their distinct occurrence rates are pertinent to their formation-growth energetics and pinning effects at the disk edge. On the basis of these findings, we propose a paradigm of optical quenching–assisted fast switching of vortex cores for the control of magnetic vortex–based information recording and spintronic devices.« less

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1];  [2]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [4];  [2]; ORCiD logo [1]
  1. Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
  2. National Univ. of Singapore (Singapore)
  3. Shanghai Jiao Tong Univ., Shanghai (China)
  4. California Inst. of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
OSTI Identifier:
1476761
Report Number(s):
BNL-209148-2018-JAAM
Journal ID: ISSN 2375-2548
Grant/Contract Number:  
SC0012704
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Science Advances
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 4; Journal Issue: 7; Journal ID: ISSN 2375-2548
Publisher:
AAAS
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY; Magnetic vortex; Permalloy disk; Optical quenching; Lorentz imaging; Magnetization dynamics; 4D electron microscopy

Citation Formats

Fu, Xuewen, Pollard, Shawn D., Chen, Bin, Yoo, Byung -Kuk, Yang, Hyunsoo, and Zhu, Yimei. Optical manipulation of magnetic vortices visualized in situ by Lorentz electron microscopy. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1126/sciadv.aat3077.
Fu, Xuewen, Pollard, Shawn D., Chen, Bin, Yoo, Byung -Kuk, Yang, Hyunsoo, & Zhu, Yimei. Optical manipulation of magnetic vortices visualized in situ by Lorentz electron microscopy. United States. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aat3077
Fu, Xuewen, Pollard, Shawn D., Chen, Bin, Yoo, Byung -Kuk, Yang, Hyunsoo, and Zhu, Yimei. Wed . "Optical manipulation of magnetic vortices visualized in situ by Lorentz electron microscopy". United States. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aat3077. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1476761.
@article{osti_1476761,
title = {Optical manipulation of magnetic vortices visualized in situ by Lorentz electron microscopy},
author = {Fu, Xuewen and Pollard, Shawn D. and Chen, Bin and Yoo, Byung -Kuk and Yang, Hyunsoo and Zhu, Yimei},
abstractNote = {By understanding the fundamental dynamics of topological vortex and antivortex naturally formed in microscale/nanoscale ferromagnetic building blocks under external perturbations is crucial to magnetic vortex–based information processing and spintronic devices. All previous studies have focused on magnetic vortex–core switching via external magnetic fields, spin-polarized currents, or spin waves, which have largely prohibited the investigation of novel spin configurations that could emerge from the ground states in ferromagnetic disks and their underlying dynamics. We report in situ visualization of femtosecond laser quenching–induced magnetic vortex changes in various symmetric ferromagnetic Permalloy disks by using Lorentz phase imaging of four-dimensional electron microscopy that enables in situ laser excitation. Besides the switching of magnetic vortex chirality and polarity, we observed with distinct occurrence frequencies a plenitude of complex magnetic structures that have never been observed by magnetic field– or current-assisted switching. These complex magnetic structures consist of a number of newly created topological magnetic defects (vortex and antivortex) strictly conserving the topological winding number, demonstrating the direct impact of topological invariants on magnetization dynamics in ferromagnetic disks. Their spin configurations show mirror or rotation symmetry due to the geometrical confinement of the disks. Combined micromagnetic simulations with the experimental observations reveal the underlying magnetization dynamics and formation mechanism of the optical quenching–induced complex magnetic structures. Their distinct occurrence rates are pertinent to their formation-growth energetics and pinning effects at the disk edge. On the basis of these findings, we propose a paradigm of optical quenching–assisted fast switching of vortex cores for the control of magnetic vortex–based information recording and spintronic devices.},
doi = {10.1126/sciadv.aat3077},
journal = {Science Advances},
number = 7,
volume = 4,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jun 20 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Wed Jun 20 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}

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Cited by: 26 works
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