Energy-efficient domain wall motion governed by the interplay of helicity-dependent optical effect and spin-orbit torque

Abstract

Spin-orbit torque provides a powerful means of manipulating domain walls along magnetic wires. However, the current density required for domain wall motion is still too high to realize low power devices. Here we experimentally demonstrate helicity-dependent domain wall motion by combining synchronized femtosecond laser pulses and short current pulses in Co/Ni/Co ultra-thin film wires with perpendicular magnetization. Domain wall can remain pinned under one laser circular helicity while depinned by the opposite circular helicity. Thanks to the all-optical helicity-dependent effect, the threshold current density due to spin-orbit torque can be reduced by more than 50%. Based on this joint effect combining spin-orbit torque and helicity-dependent laser pulses, an optoelectronic logic-in-memory device has been experimentally demonstrated. This work enables a new class of low power spintronic-photonic devices beyond the conventional approach of all-optical switching or all-current switching for data storage.

arXiv comment21 pages, 5 figures

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Cited by in corpus (4)

• Enhanced all-optical switching and domain wall velocity in annealed synthetic-ferrimagnetic multilayers
• Domain wall dynamics due to femtosecond laser-induced superdiffusive spin transport
• All-optical switching of magnetic domains in Co/Gd heterostructures with Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya Interaction
• Domain-wall motion induced by spin transfer torque delivered by helicity-dependent femtosecond laser