On the micromagnetic behavior of dipolar-coupled nanomagnets in defective square artificial spin ice systems

TL;DR

This study uses micromagnetic simulations to explore how defects in square artificial spin ice systems influence monopole-like state formation and magnetization reversal, revealing a linear relationship between defect misalignment and monopole creation fields.

Contribution

It demonstrates how defect misalignments affect dipolar energies and monopole states in artificial spin ice, providing new insights into defect-induced magnetic phenomena.

Findings

Emergent monopole-like states can be stabilized by small external fields.

Dipolar energies vary systematically with misalignment angle.

Monopole creation fields are linearly related to dipolar energies.

Abstract

We report here the results of micromagnetic simulations of square artificial spin ice (ASI) systems with defects. The defects are introduced by misaligning of a nanomagnet at the vertex. In these defective systems, we are able to stabilize emergent monopole-like state by applying a small external field. We observe a systematic change of dipolar energies of the systems with varying misalignment angle. The fields at which the emergent monopoles are created vary linearly with the dipolar energies of the systems. Our results clearly show that the magnetization reversal of the ASI systems is intricately related to the interplay of defects and dipolar interactions.