Non-reciprocity and exchange-spring delay of domain-wall Walker breakdown in magnetic nanowires with azimuthal magnetization

Abstract

Domain-wall (DW) motion is a crucial process involved in magnetization reversal, be it under magnetic field or spin-polarized current stimulus. In most cases the DW speed does not exceed $\approx$100m/s and collapses above a given threshold of the stimulus, an effect known as Walker breakdown. A few specific material properties have been identified to delay the breakdown of speed by increasing the energy barrier preventing internal precession. We show that in a 3D nanomagnetic system, here with vortex-state domains, the topology of the magnetization distribution may intrinsically and robustly delay the Walker breakdown due to an exchange-spring effect. However, in contrast to situations in lower dimension, the motion remains steady-state. In addition, curvature induces a major non-reciprocal effect, delaying or not the Walker breakdown depending on the sequence of chiralities of the azimuthal domains on both sides of the DW, independent of its direction of motion.

10 pages, 7 figures