Stray-field imaging of a chiral artificial spin ice during magnetization reversal

Wyss, M., Gliga, S., Vasyukov, D., Ceccarelli, L., Romagnoli, G., Cui, J., Kleibert, A., Stamps, R. L. and Poggio, M. (2019) Stray-field imaging of a chiral artificial spin ice during magnetization reversal. ACS Nano, 13(12), pp. 13910-13916. (doi: 10.1021/acsnano.9b05428) (PMID:31820931)

Abstract

Artificial spin ices are a class of metamaterials consisting of magnetostatically coupled nanomagnets. Their interactions give rise to emergent behavior, which has the potential to be harnessed for the creation of functional materials. Consequently, the ability to map the stray field of such systems can be decisive for gaining an understanding of their properties. Here, we use a scanning nanometer-scale superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) to image the magnetic stray field distribution of an artificial spin ice system exhibiting structural chirality as a function of applied magnetic fields at 4.2 K. The images reveal that the magnetostatic interaction gives rise to a measurable bending of the magnetization at the edges of the nanomagnets. Micromagnetic simulations predict that, owing to the structural chirality of the system, this edge bending is asymmetric in the presence of an external field and gives rise to a preferred direction for the reversal of the magnetization. This effect is not captured by models assuming a uniform magnetization. Our technique thus provides a promising means for understanding the collective response of artificial spin ices and their interactions.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Gliga, Dr Sebastian and Stamps, Professor Robert
• Authors: Wyss, M., Gliga, S., Vasyukov, D., Ceccarelli, L., Romagnoli, G., Cui, J., Kleibert, A., Stamps, R. L., and Poggio, M.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Physics and Astronomy
• Journal Name: ACS Nano
• Publisher: American Chemical Society
• ISSN: 1936-0851
• ISSN (Online): 1936-086X
• Published Online: 10 December 2019
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2019 American Chemical Society
• First Published: First published in ACS Nano 13(12):13910-13916
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher

Project Code	Award No	Project Name	Principal Investigator	Funder's Name	Funder Ref	Lead Dept
172676		DYNMAG	Stephen McVitie	European Commission (EC)	708674	P&S - Physics & Astronomy