Chirality-induced zigzag domain wall in in-plane magnetized ultrathin films

TL;DR

This paper investigates how the domain wall shape in in-plane magnetized ultrathin films changes from zigzag to straight with increasing thickness, driven by a transition in wall type influenced by Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction.

Contribution

It reveals a novel thickness-dependent transition of domain wall shape linked to a change in wall type, supported by experimental observations and Monte-Carlo simulations.

Findings

Zigzag to straight domain wall transition observed with increasing film thickness

Transition driven by change from out-of-plane chiral wall to in-plane Ne9el wall

Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction explains the domain wall shape transition

Abstract

The domain structure in in-plane magnetized Fe/Ni/W(110) films is investigated using spin-polarized low-energy electron microscopy. A novel transition of the domain wall shape from a zigzag-like pattern to straight is observed as a function of the film thickness, which is triggered by the transition of the domain wall type from out-of-plane chiral wall to in-plane N\'eel wall. The contribution of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction to the wall energy is proposed to explain the transition of the domain wall shape, which is supported by Monte-Carlo simulations.