Chirality-Induced Noncollinear Magnetization and Asymmetric Domain-Wall Propagation in Hydrogenated CoPd Thin Films

TL;DR

This study demonstrates how hydrogenation and plasma pretreatment induce chiral magnetic effects and asymmetric domain-wall motion in CoPd thin films, enabling advanced control of spin textures for spintronic applications.

Contribution

It introduces a novel fabrication method combining lithography and plasma pretreatment to induce Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction in CoPd films, enabling tailored magnetic patterns.

Findings

Observation of strong vertical and lateral antiferromagnetic coupling.

Detection of asymmetric domain-wall propagation.

Evidence of magnetic chirality linked to DMI.

Abstract

Array-patterned CoPd-based heterostructures are created through e-beam lithography and plasma pretreatment that induces oxidation with depth gradient in the CoPd alloy films, breaking the central symmetry of the structure. Effects on the magnetic properties of the follow-up hydrogenation of the thin film are observed via magneto-optic Kerr effect microscopy. The system exhibits strong vertical and lateral antiferromagnetic coupling in the perpendicular component between the areas with and without plasma pretreatment, and asymmetric domain-wall propagation in the plasma-pretreated areas during magnetization reversal. These phenomenon exhibit evident magnetic chirality and can be interpreted with the Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida coupling and the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI). The sample processing demonstrated in this study allows easy incorporation of lithography techniques that can define areas with or without DMI to create intricate magnetic patterns on the sample, which provides an avenue towards more sophisticate control of canted spin textures in future spintronic devices.