1201.5917 (Weiwei Lin et al.)

Interfacial electron accumulation effect on magnetic domain wall
nucleation and propagation in a Pt/Co/Pt/Al2O3 structure    [PDF]

Weiwei Lin, Nicolas Vernier, Guillaume Agnus, Na Lei, Sylvain Eimer, Dafiné Ravelosona

We report direct observation of electric field assisted magnetization
reversal in a Pt/Co(0.5 nm)/Pt(0.5 nm)/Al2O3 structure with perpendicular
anisotropy. By using polar Kerr microscopy to image a single switching event
among magnetic domains, we evidence that positive charges accumulating at the
Pt/Al2O3 interface result in favoring magnetic domain wall propagation, while
negative charges hinder domain wall nucleation and propagation. In contrast
with recent experiments using a dielectric layer in direct contact with the
ferromagnetic material, our results suggest that domain wall dynamics can be
strongly influenced by electron accumulation in an ultrathin nonmagnetic
metallic layer.

View original: http://arxiv.org/abs/1201.5917