Discovery and characterization of a new type of domain wall in a row-wise antiferromagnet
Jonas Spethmann, Martin Grünebohm, R. Wiesendanger, Kirsten von Bergmann, André Kubetzka
Abstract
Antiferromagnets have recently moved into the focus of application-related research, with the perspective to use them in future spintronics devices. At the same time the experimental determination of the detailed spin texture remains challenging. Here we use spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy to investigate the spin structure of antiferromagnetic domain walls. Comparison with spin dynamics simulations allows the identification of a new type of domain wall, which is a superposition state of the adjacent domains. We determine the relevant magnetic interactions and derive analytical formulas. Our experiments show a pathway to control the number of domain walls by boundary effects, and demonstrate the possibility to change the position of domain walls by interaction with movable adsorbed atoms. The knowledge about the exact spin structure of the domain walls is crucial for an understanding and theoretical modelling of their properties regarding, for instance, dynamics, response in transport experiments, and manipulation.