PROJECT
Domain Wall Motion
Conventionally, the magnetization of a material or device is switched by applying external magnetic fields. Using spin transfer torque phenomena (Fig. 1) the same could be achieved in nanostructures by injecting spin-polarized current.
With this spin-transfer torque effect it is possible to switch the magnetization and to push a domain wall along the length of a nano wire. This is the basis of a new type of domain-wall-based data storage device, such as the "racetrack memory" devised by Stuart Parkin (Fig. 2) and (Fig. 3) from the IBM Almaden Research Laboratory [1].
Current research projects in our laboratory include the domain wall motion in magnetic nanostructures using spin transfer torque phenomena.
References:
1. Stuart S. P. Parkin, Masamitsu Hayashi and Luc Thomas Science 320 190-194 (2008)