The propagation of magnetic domain walls, driven by pulsed magnetic fields or spin-polarized currents, plays an important role in present and future magnetic storage devices. Many of these devices, like spin-valves or magnetic random acces memories (MRAM), consist of multilayered magnetic systems. We have used time-resolved photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM) combined with x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) to study domain wall propagation in multilayered continuous films and nanostructures. We have used the element selectivity of XMCD to obtain separate, microscopic information on the domain wall dynamics in FeNi/X/Co trilayer systems (X = Cu, Al₂O₃). Domain wall propagation speeds obtained with magnetic field pulses are much larger than with pulses of spin-polarized currents. Domain walls in the Co layer strongly influence the domain wall dynamics in the FeNi layer, through magnetostatic interactions induced by domain wall stray fields. We have also used time-resolved XMCD-PEEM to study the influence of the Co layer on the reduction of the critical currents for current-induced domain wall propagation in this kind of trilayers.

This work was performed together with S. Pizzini, V. Uhlir, M. Bonfim, J. Camarero, W. Kuch, K. Fukumoto, V. Cros and F. Petroff

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