Observation of galvanomagnetic voltages at a magnetic domain wall in Ni-Fe films

Abstract

A Ni81Fe19 film of 110 nm thickness is traversed by a dc current density normal to the easy axis. Two sharp tungsten wires serve as potential probes, distant by 210 μm along the easy axis. A charged wall, oriented at an angle to the easy axis, is made to creep slowly across the sample by applying dc easy axis and 60-Hz hard axis magnetic fields. The dc voltage between the probes is found to vary whenever the wall passes by the probes. The variation has the form of a voltage peak of ≅40 μV typical height. These peaks are caused by the planar Hall effect, in combination with a canting of the domain magnetization near the charged wall. In the case of a current parallel to the easy axis and normal to the line joining the probes, a steplike voltage variation ≤150 μV is observed for an uncharged wall in the presence of a dc hard axis field. Planar Hall effect and (field induced) domain canting are again responsible.