Three dimensional spintronics: “Faster, higher, stronger”

Amalio Fernández-Pacheco, CSIC-University of Zaragoza

The expansion of spintronics to three dimensions provides exciting opportunities to explore new physical phenomena, opening great prospects to create 3D magnetic devices for future technologies [1]. To get full access to the rich phenomenology predicted to emerge when moving to 3D, we have developed a new framework for the “3D nano-printing” of materials using focused electron beam induced deposition [2], which enables the fabrication of complex-shaped 3D magnetic structures with sub-100nm resolution. Making use of this tool, in combination with advanced magneto-optical and X-ray magnetic microscopy methods, we are studying the controlled motion of domain walls along the whole space in 3D magnetic interconnectors, either via external fields [3] or geometrical effects [4]. We are also studying the magnetoelectrical signals generated in these devices, where the non-collinear configuration of magnetic states and electrical currents results in deviations from standard angular dependences normally obtained in planar devices [5]. I will also present our recent work on chiral effects in 3D helical geometries formed by interlaced nanowires, where exchange and dipolar interactions are balanced to result in a very rich phenomenology. The freedom provided to control magnetic effects in this type of geometries has been exploited to form chiral interfaces between domain walls of opposite chirality, allowing us to imprint topological spin defects at localized regions [6]. Furthermore, helical structures may also form strongly coupled domain wall pairs, which result in complex stray magnetic field configurations with topological features [7].

[1] A. Fernández-Pacheco et al, Nature Comm. 8, 1 (2017)
[2] L. Skoric, Nano Letters 20, 184 (2020)
[3] D. Sanz-Hernández et al, ACS Nano 11, 11066 (2017)
[4] L. Skoric et al, arXiv:2110.04636
[5] F. Meng et al, ACS Nano 15, 6765 (2021)
[6] D. Sanz-Hernández et al, ACS Nano 14, 8084 (2020)
[7] C. Donnelly et al, Nature Nanotechnol. (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-021-01027-7

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