Optimized Voltage-Induced Control of Magnetic Domain-Wall Propagation in Hybrid Piezoelectric/Magnetostrictive Devices

A theory of voltage-induced control of magnetic domain walls propagating along the major axis of a magnetostrictive nanostrip, tightly coupled with a ceramic piezoelectric, is developed in the framework of the Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert equation. It is assumed that the strains undergone by the piezoelectric actuator, subject to an electric field generated by a dc bias voltage applied through a couple of lateral electrodes, are fully transferred to the magnetostrictive layer. Taking into account these piezo-induced strains and considering a magnetostrictive linear elastic material belonging to the cubic crystal class, the magnetoelastic field is analytically determined. Therefore, by using the classical traveling-wave formalism, the explicit expressions of the most important features characterizing the two dynamical regimes of domain-wall propagation have been deduced, and their dependence on the electric field strength has been highlighted. Moreover, some strategies to optimize such a voltage-induced control, based on the choice of the ceramic piezoelectric material and the orientation of dielectric poling and electric field with respect to the reference axes, have been proposed.