Nanospectroscopy highlights

The depinning of domain walls in a nonlocal spin valve structure based on two ferromagnetic Permalloy elements with copper as the nonmagnetic spin conduit is found to be efficiently assisted by pure diffusive spin currents. These results open now possibilities for future low-power spintronic devices.One of the newly devised non-volatile memories is the so-called racetrack memory which is based on magnetic domain wall motion. For this purpose, various approaches have been put forward. Using pure diffusive spin currents, where the electrons diffuse without an associated net charge current, is a possible alternative approach. Its main advantage is that the generation of spin currents, that involves energy dissipation, can occur at a distant location from the device, which can thus be kept cool and still manipulated by the absorbed diffusive spin currents. In line with this 

approach, non-local spin valve geometries have been developed, where pure spin currents are generated across ferromagnetic - non-magnetic contacts.Here, we report the  first observation of domain wall depinning assisted by pure spin currents.

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Domain-Wall Depinning Assisted by Pure Spin Currents;
D. Ilgaz, J. Nievendick, L. Heyne, D. Backes, J. Rhensius, T.A. Moore, M.Á. Niño, A. Locatelli, T.O. Menteş, A. V. Schmidsfeld, A. V. Bieren, S. Krzyk, L. J. Heyderman, and M. Kläui;
Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 076601 (2010);
doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.076601.