Spin-orbit torque driven motion of chiral domain walls induced by radial magnetization in nanotube geometry
Nobuyuki Umetsu, Hiroki Tokuhira, Michael Quinsat, Hideto Horii, Tsuyoshi Kondo, Masaki Kado
Published: 2025/4/15
Abstract
We theoretically investigate chiral domain walls (DWs) formed in radially magnetized nanotubes composed of ultrathin layers with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA). Unlike those with in-plane magnetic anisotropy, the stable configurations of DWs in PMA nanotubes are influenced not only by exchange interactions but also by magnetostatic interactions induced by the radial component of magnetization. Particularly, the magnetostatic interactions lead to Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI)-like effects that stabilize chiral N\'{e}el-type DWs. We derive expressions for the effective magnetic fields acting on DWs within PMA nanotubes and quantify spin-orbit torque (SOT) driven DW motion using an analytical one-dimensional model, which is validated by micromagnetic simulations. Our results show that the DMI-like field due to magnetostatic interactions can be as significant as the contribution of material-induced DMI in nanotubes with diameters below $100\,$nm. This implies that the direction and speed of DW motion in the PMA nanotubes could differ from those observed in flat nanoribbons composed of the same material. Furthermore, we demonstrate that DW velocity can be effectively controlled by adjusting the tube diameter and exchange stiffness constant of the magnetic layer, rather than relying solely on material-induced DMI. These insights are expected to greatly expand the potential applications of PMA nanotube-based DW devices.