Domain walls speed up in insulating ferrimagnetic garnets

Abstract

Magnetic domain walls (DWs) are the finite boundaries that separate the regions of uniform magnetization in a magnetic material. They constitute a key research topic in condensed matter physics due to their intriguing physics and relevance in technological applications. A multitude of spintronic concepts for memory, logic, and data processing applications have been proposed, relying on the precise control of DWs via magnetic fields and electric currents. Intensive research into DWs has also spurred interest into chiral magnetic interactions, topology, and relativistic physics. In this article, we will first review the rapid evolution of magnetic DW research and, in particular, the current-driven DW motion enabled by the improved understanding of DW dynamics and the development of suitable ferrimagnetic thin films. We will then provide an outlook on future directions in DW dynamics research exploiting ferrimagnetic garnets as a tunable material platform.