The nature of domain walls in ultrathin ferromagnets revealed by scanning nanomagnetometry

TL;DR

This paper introduces a direct, in situ method using scanning nanomagnetometry to determine domain wall structures in ultrathin ferromagnets, revealing Bloch and Neel types and their relation to Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction.

Contribution

It presents a novel technique for directly measuring domain wall structures in ultrathin ferromagnets using NV-based scanning magnetometry.

Findings

Identified Bloch domain walls in Ta/CoFeB/MgO wire.

Detected left-handed Neel domain walls in Pt/Co/AlOx wire.

Provided evidence of significant DMI at the Pt/Co interface.

Abstract

The recent observation of current-induced domain wall (DW) motion with large velocity in ultrathin magnetic wires has opened new opportunities for spintronic devices. However, there is still no consensus on the underlying mechanisms of DW motion. Key to this debate is the DW structure, which can be of Bloch or N\'eel type, and dramatically affects the efficiency of the different proposed mechanisms. To date, most experiments aiming to address this question have relied on deducing the DW structure and chirality from its motion under additional in-plane applied fields, which is indirect and involves strong assumptions on its dynamics. Here we introduce a general method enabling direct, in situ, determination of the DW structure in ultrathin ferromagnets. It relies on local measurements of the stray field distribution above the DW using a scanning nanomagnetometer based on the Nitrogen-Vacancy defect in diamond. We first apply the method to a Ta/Co40Fe40B20(1 nm)/MgO magnetic wire and find clear signature of pure Bloch DWs. In contrast, we observe left-handed N\'eel DWs in a Pt/Co(0.6 nm)/AlOx wire, providing direct evidence for the presence of a sizable Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) at the Pt/Co interface. This method offers a new path for exploring interfacial DMI in ultrathin ferromagnets and elucidating the physics of DW motion under current.