Title: Accurate model of the stripe domain phase of perpendicularly magnetized multilayers

Abstract

We develop an accurate analytical model for the stray field energy of parallel stripe domains in multilayer films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, taking into account the effects of finite domain wall width and variable domain wall angle. By minimizing the total energy, we predict the domain width, the domain wall width, and the domain wall angle for given material parameters. We show how the domain wall width depends on the film thickness and the domain size. We explore the domain wall angle as a function of Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) and derive a threshold value We develop an accurate analytical model for the stray field energy of parallel stripe domains in multilayer films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, taking into account the effects of finite domain wall width and variable domain wall angle. By minimizing the total energy, we predict the domain width, the domain wall width, and the domain wall angle for given material parameters. We show how the domain wall width depends on the film thickness and the domain size. We explore the domain wall angle as a function of Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) and derive a threshold value D_thr beyond which the system is in a Néel state. We findmore » that thicker films require larger values of DMI to stabilize the Néel state. Finally, we test the effective medium theory, which allows treating multilayers as effective single layer films, and provide criteria for the applicability of the model in the presence of both surface and volume stray fields. Furthermore our results are supported by micromagnetic simulations, which indicate that the predictions are still precise even if the system is in a labyrinthine domain state. Using our model, otherwise inaccessible magnetic parameters, such as the DMI constant or the exchange constant, can now be obtained straightforwardly from static measurements of the stripe domain width in such films.« less

Authors:

Lemesh, Ivan ^[1]; Büttner, Felix ^[1]; Beach, Geoffrey S. D. ^[1]

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)

Publication Date:

Wed May 17 00:00:00 EDT 2017

Research Org.:

Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)

OSTI Identifier:

1505619

Alternate Identifier(s):

OSTI ID: 1357700

Grant/Contract Number:  

SC0012371

Resource Type:

Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

Physical Review. B

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Volume: 95; Journal Issue: 17; Journal ID: ISSN 2469-9950

Publisher:

American Physical Society (APS)

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE