Textured heterogeneity in square artificial spin ice

TL;DR

This paper investigates the spontaneous formation of heterogeneous magnetic textures in square artificial spin ice, revealing how microscopic Dirac string structures influence macroscopic magnetic patterns through resonant soft-x-ray scattering.

Contribution

It provides new experimental evidence of superdomain networks and links microscopic Dirac string arrangements to macroscopic magnetic textures in artificial spin ice.

Findings

Heterogeneous superdomain networks form spontaneously in square artificial spin ice.

Resonant soft-x-ray scattering reveals internal structures in Bragg peaks due to textures.

Magnetic heterogeneity exhibits zig-zag patterns at larger scales.

Abstract

We report evidence of spontaneous formation of a heterogeneous network of superdomains in two-dimensional square artificial spin ice nanostructures in externally applied magnetic fields. The magnetic heterogeneity is locally disordered but has a zig-zag texture at longer length scales. Resonant coherent soft-x-ray scattering off such textures give rise to unique internal structure in Bragg peaks. Our result shows that the macroscopic magnetic texture is derived from the microscopic structure of the Dirac strings.