Control of Domain Structure in Artificial Ni Wires Fabricated on an LiNbO3 Substrate

We demonstrated control of magnetic domain structure formation within micro-scale polycrystalline Ni wires fabricated on a single crystalline LiNbO3 substrate. We observed the domain structures using X-ray magnetic circular dichroism-photoemission electron microscopy at SPring-8 BL25SU and BL17SU. Both zebra-stripe domain and ordinary single domain structures can be formed in the Ni wire in control of alignment of the wire onto the substrate. The result suggests that magnetoelastic effects from pizoelectristic substrates can strongly influence the magnetization alignment, overwhelming their shape magnetic anisotropy. The formation of zebra-stripe domain structure can be qualitatively explained by the micromagnetic simulation under the assumption of the magnetic anisotropy perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of wire. Our finding provides a way to control the domain structure and magnetization reversal using the combination of shape magnetic anisotropy and strain-induced anisotropy.