Manipulation of the magnetic configuration of (Ga,Mn)As nanostructures

TL;DR

This study investigates the magnetic reversal mechanisms in (Ga,Mn)As nanostructures, revealing how strain-induced anisotropy and domain wall dynamics influence magnetic behavior, with implications for memory device applications.

Contribution

It provides detailed analysis of magnetic reversal processes in patterned (Ga,Mn)As nanostructures, highlighting the role of strain relaxation and domain wall behavior.

Findings

Magnetic reversal involves coherent rotation and domain wall propagation.

Domain walls are located at device corners during intermediate hysteresis stages.

Domain wall energy can be quantitatively extracted from the analysis.

Abstract

We have studied the magnetic reversal of L-shaped nanostructures fabricated from (Ga,Mn)As. The strain relaxation due to the lithographic patterning results in each arm having a uniaxial magnetic anisotropy. Our analysis confirms that the magnetic reversal takes place via a combination of coherent rotation and domain wall propagation with the domain wall positioned at the corner of the device at intermediate stages of the magnetic hysteresis loops. The domain wall energy can be extracted from our analysis. Such devices have found implementation in studies of current induced domain wall motion and have the potential for application as non-volatile memory elements.