4.

Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

H. Zabel

4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

Content
I. Introduction and overview II. Magnetic Domain Walls III. Shape and size effects IV. Stoner Wohlfarth model IV. Superparamagnetism

H. Zabel

4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

Free energy of a ferromagnet

Free energy of a ferromagnet at T < Tc has two minima:

M
M(T ) M(T )

In order to go from one magnetization direction to the other, an energy barrier has be overcome.
Verknpfung mit ISING.EXE.lnk

H. Zabel

4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

Thermal fluctuations
In an infinite system, thermodynamics decides for one domain or the other. Only close to TC, when the potential barrier is low, thermal fluctuations may be responsible for a spontaneous domain reversal. Therefore, below Tc there must be another physical reason for the generation of magnetic domains.....
Ni81Fe19 Initial magnetization distribution in a square 50mx50m Permalloy element. R. Schfer and A. deSimone Hysteresis in soft ferromagnetic films: experimental observation and micromagnetic analysis Submitted to IEEE Trans. Magn.

H. Zabel

4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

Why do magnetic domains form?

SSSS

Magnetic field energy in vacuum of a magnetic dipole:

NNNN

E Dipole =

0
2

H 2 dV

SSNN

NNSS

In case of two domains, the field energy is reduced to roughly of its original value 1 0 EDipole = H 2 dV 2 2
4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

H. Zabel

Domain walls
Introducing more domains will reduce the field energy further. However, it increases the wall energy. Finding a compromise requres a finite number of domains.

D. Buntnix, PhD Thesis, Leuven, 2003 H. Zabel 4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

Magnetic domain walls

180 in one step 180 in N=5 steps

For a 180 magnetization reversal in one step, an exchange energy (per wall area) has to be overcome:

For a magnetization reversal in N steps, an exchange energy per unit wall area is reduced by the number of steps N:

2 Eex = 2 JS 2 a
H. Zabel

N 2 Eex = 2 JS a N

4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

Exchange versus anisotropy

Without crystal anisotropy, the domain wall width would become infinitely thick. However, with crystal anisotropy the rotation away from the easy axis costs extra energy Eani = NK1a. Easy axis Thus the total energy is (w=Na):

Etot = Eex + Eani = JS 2

2
wa

+ Kw

H. Zabel

4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

Wall energy
The total energy with respect to the number of lattice planes N becomes minimal if

Etot JS 2 2 = 2 +K =0 wa w or w= JS 2 2 Ka J K

The total wall energy is therefore:

Etot = 2 JKS / a JK
2 2
H. Zabel 4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

Wall width
Usual expressions normalized by the spin quantum number:

Domain wall width Domain wall energy

w J /K E J K
Low K material

High K material

H. Zabel

4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

Literature values
Magneto-crystalline Domain wall anisotropy K width [MJ/m3] [nm] Angle between spins in adjacent planes (180/N)

Fe Co Ni Py

0.05 0.85 0.042 0

42 15-20 1000 infinite

1,23

Close to Tc the anisotropy energy K drops, which leads to an increase of the domain wall thickness
H. Zabel 4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

Domains and domain walls in thin films

Ideal Landau domain structure for soft magnetic materials: 180 Wand 90 Wand Raute pattern in case of high crystal ansotropy:

H. Zabel

4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

Domain wall orientation

A Bloch wall in a thin films generates stray fields in the outside region, which is unfavourable.

Nel walls become more favourable when the film thickness t becomes smaller than the wall width w: t<w

In both cases a 180 domain wall is shown with a wall width stretching over the box size.
Pictures from D. Buntnix, PhD Thesis, Leuven, 2003 H. Zabel 4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

General shape of magnetic domains

Magnetic domains in an Fe-wisker, Flux closure domains: Perpendicular domains in garnet films

R.J. Celotta

Magnetic domains in a thin NiFe-stripe

H. Zabel

4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

Magnetic hysteresis
M Saturation magnetization

Remanent magnetization

H Coercive field Demagnetized state

H. Zabel

4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

Magnetic hysteresis
s-state at remanence

H. Zabel

4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

Basic reversal mechanisms

1. Nucleation and domain wall movement:

2. Coherent Rotation:

3. Domain formation:

H. Zabel

4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

How can we tell the difference?

H H H

M 90 180 Domain wall

H. Zabel

Wall rotation Wall motion H

4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

Pinning of domain walls

Pinning can cause Barkhausen noise when walls are unpinned and perform Barkhausen jumps in an external magnetic field.
H. Zabel 4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

Domain wall propagation

Domain propagation along the easy axis, coherent rotation and propagation along the hard axis. Very small coercivity indicates high quality film with few pinning centers.
K. Theis-Brhl et al. Phys. Rev. B 53, 11613 (1996).

H. Zabel

4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

How fast do domain walls propagate?

Use the GMR effect to determine, when reversal takes place during field sweep at 20 Oe/s. Resistance measured at a rate of 10 ms. Time variation of the resistance during the M reversal of the 400- NiFe layer at 77 K, which was collected at 40-ns intervals. Velocity depends linearly on applied field.

T. Ono et al. Science, 284, 468 , (1999)

H. Zabel 4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

Shape induced anisotropy

Fe(100)/GaAs: superposition of 4-fold and 2-fold anisotropy

Polycrystalline Fe film on sapphire substrate: no anisotropy

Polycrystalline Fe stripes: shape induced anisotropy

H. Zabel 4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

Nano-magnets
stripes bars

10 m
Theis-Brhl et al., Bochum Temst et al., Leuven

disks

rings

Shinjo et al., Kyoto

H. Zabel

Klaeui et al., Cambridge

4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

Domains in stripes as a function of aspect ratio

Ni stripes, MFM images Co-stripes, Kerr microscopy

Diploma Thesis, Thorsten Last, RUB, 2992 H. Zabel

B. Hausmanns, PhD Thesis, Duisburg-Essen, 2003

4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

Demagnetized state of different stripe arrays (Kerr-images)

Co0.7Fe0.3 stripes, w=1.2 m, D=3 m, thickness 90 nm, head-to-head domains Co0.7Fe0.3 stripes, w=2.4 mm, D=3 mm, thickness 80 nm, ripple domains Fe stripes W=2.5 m Landau domains

ext

K. Theis-Brhl et al. Phys. Rev B B 68, 184415 (2003). H. Zabel

T. Schmitte et al. JAP, 92, 4524 (2002)

4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

Coercivity of stripes

t w Coercivity of magnetic stripes is inversely proportional to the stripe width w: Ms t Ha = Hi + w

B. Hausmanns, PhD Thesis, Duisburg-Essen, 2003
H. Zabel 4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

Modelling of stripe domains and domain propagation

B. Hausmanns, PhD Thesis, Duisburg-Essen, 2003, G. Nowak, Duisburg

H. Zabel 4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

Simulation of a magnetization reversal process

Single bar

Reversal of interacting bars

http://magnet.atp.tuwien.ac.at/scholz/gallery/werneranim.html

H. Zabel

4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

Single-Domain Circular Nanomagnets

d= diameter, t=thickness
d=300nm, t=10nm

vortex

d=100nm, t=10nm

Single domain

R. P. Cowburn, D. K. Koltsov, A. O. Adeyeye, and M. E. Welland, D. M. Tricker, PRL. 83 (1999) 1042 H. Zabel 4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

Magnetization reversal of a dot

http://magnet.atp.tuwien.ac.at/scholz/gallery/werneranim.html

H. Zabel

4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

Magnetization reversal in ring structures

MFM images Simulation of spin structure and magnetic divergence

D. Buntinx, PhD Thesis, Leuven, 2003

H. Zabel 4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

Switching processes in mesoscopic ferromagnetic rings

PEEM image of array of rings

M. Klui, et al. Phys. Rev. B 66, 134426 (2003)

H. Zabel 4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

From stable to unstable domains

Multi-domain Stoner Wohlfarth limit for single stable domains Superparamagnetic limit in fine particles

Hc
Domain rotation Domain wall motion Particle size = domain wall width

unstable
Thermal effects reduce coercitity

1/D

H. Zabel

4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

Singel domain reversal

Simple model for the magnetic energy density for a particle with a single uniaxial anisotropy:

f tot = K sin 0 H || M s cos 0 H M s sin

2

Find stable solution as a function of :

f f = 0; 2 = 0
2

Yielding:

2K 2K 3 cos ; H = sin 3 H || = 0 M s 0 M s
H. Zabel 4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

Stoner-Wohlfarth asteroid
The solution describes a hypocycloid via the condition:

H || H K

3/ 2

H + H K
3/ 2

3/ 2

2K = 1; H K = Ms
r M2 r M1

Which can be reduced to:

(h )
||

3/ 2

+ (h )

H = 1; h = Hk

The magnetization direction follows from a tangent stretching from the asteroid to the tip of the field direction.
H. Zabel 4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

Stable magnetization
If h is inside the asteroid, two magnetization directions are possible. The one realized depends on the history of the sample magnetization. If h is outside, only one magnetization direction can be realized.
r M2 r M1

r M1

H. Zabel

4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

Superparamagnetic limit
Below a certain size (blocking volume VB), islands behave in a superparamagnetic fashion. M is homogeneous but fluctuates with the period:

= 0e E

k BT

, E K = K uVB

EK is the stored crystal anisotropy in a particle. For T<TB, the spin blocks freeze out, for T>TB , the remanent magnetization MR vanishes. For magnetic recording, a particle energy of EK = KuVB > 55 kBT is required for a 10 year stability.
H. Zabel 4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

Thermal fluctuations
Animation of a thermally activated magnetization reversal process of a small cubic particle, which has been discretized with eight magnetization vectors. A finite difference and finite element micromagnetics code, which solves the stochastic differential equation in the sense of Stratonovich, has been developed to perform temperature dependent simulations. Werner Scholz: werner.scholz (at) tuwien.ac.at http://magnet.atp.tuwien.ac.at/scholz/gallery/werneranim.html

H. Zabel

4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

Example:
What is the critical cluster size for the superparamagnetic limit at room temperature? Parameters: 010-10 s, desirable: 10j = 3108 s at 300K

3 108 25meV k BT ln = VB = 0.2meV / atom ln 10 10 KU 0 = 125 44 = 5600 spins

This corresponds to roughly a cluster size of 150150. With equal size and distance, this corresponds to 700Gb/inch2
H. Zabel 4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

Hysteresis as a function of cluster size

Fe clusters in a Ag matrix from a cluster source 8.1 nm

11.7 nm

H. Meiwes-Broer, Rostock
H. Zabel 4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

Superparamagnetic limit in the recording industry

In media development, experts discuss the benefits of anti-ferromagnetic-coupled exchange media as an approach to delay the effects of superparamagnetism. The superparamagnetic limit is a fundamental physical constraint beyond which conventional hard drives can no longer reliably store data, due to signal-to-noise effects.

~250 grains/bit

~4
0 nm
8 nm
H. Zabel 4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal

Summary
Domains are formed to reduce the stray field energy Domains depend on anisotropy and shape In islands and rings, vortex and onion shape domains occur Single domains for particles smaller than the domain wall width Superparamagnetism occurs if crystal anisotropy energy stored becomes smaller than thermal energy.

H. Zabel

4. Lecture Magnetic domains and magnetization reversal