Dislocation-induced magnetization reversal in a ferromagnetic film

TL;DR

This paper shows that moving edge dislocations can rapidly reverse magnetization in a ferromagnetic film through the Barnett effect, revealing a new mechanism of magnetization dynamics influenced by mechanical stress.

Contribution

It introduces a numerical study of how dislocation-induced elastic twists can cause magnetization reversal in ferromagnetic films, highlighting a novel stress-related magnetic switching mechanism.

Findings

Magnetization reversal occurs within a few picoseconds.

Dislocation motion can induce local elastic twists causing magnetization change.

The mechanism is significant for understanding magnetization dynamics under mechanical stress.

Abstract

We demonstrate that moving edge dislocations can induce the reversal of magnetization in a ferromagnetic film due to the Barnett effect. The dynamics of magnetization is studied numerically within a discretized Landau-Lifshitz equation on a hexagonal lattice containing over $10^5$ sites. Local coordinate frames coupled to the crystallographic axes for each spin are used together with the laboratory coordinate frame. The parameters of a hexagonal close-packed cobalt lattice have been chosen for illustration. The magnetization reversal from a metastable initial state created by the external magnetic field occurs on a time scale of a few picoseconds. Our results imply that fast local elastic twists generated by moving dislocations serve as an important mechanism of magnetization dynamics in solids subjected to a mechanical stress.