2014/10/28 by Satoru Emori, Chinedum K. Umachi, David Bono +2 · 20 citations
Chemistry · Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Activation energy #Advanced Memory and Neural Computing #Arrhenius equation #Chemistry #Classical mechanics #Composite material #Condensed matter physics #Current (fluid) #Domain wall (magnetism) #Equations of motion #Geometry #Joule heating #Magnetic field #Magnetic properties of thin films #Magnetization #Materials science #Mechanics #Physics #Physics of Superconductivity and Magnetism #Plane (geometry) #Spin (aerodynamics) #Thermodynamics #Torque #cond-mat.mtrl-sci
paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/j.jmmm.2014.10.147
published in Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials 378, 98-106 (Elsevier BV)
arxiv created 2014/10/28 · openalex publication_date 2014/10/31 · arxiv updated 2014/11/21 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Thermally activated domain-wall (DW) motion driven by magnetic field and electric current is investigated experimentally in out-of-plane magnetized Pt(Co/Pt)3 multilayers. We directly extract the thermal activation energy barrier for DW motion and observe the dynamic regimes of creep, depinning, and viscous flow. Further analysis reveals that the activation energy must be corrected with a factor dependent on the Curie temperature, and we derive a generalized Arrhenius-like equation governing thermally activated motion. By using this generalized equation, we quantify the efficiency of current-induced spin torque in assisting DW motion. Current produces no effect aside from Joule heating in the multilayer with 7-Å thick Co layers, whereas it generates a finite spin torque on DWs in the multilayer with atomically thin 3-Å Co layers. These findings suggest that conventional spin-transfer torques from in-plane spin-polarized current do not drive DWs in ultrathin Co/Pt multilayers.