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Updated: Jul 11, 2026

Measurement of Coherence Decay in GaMnAs Using Femtosecond Four-wave Mixing

Measurement of Coherence Decay in GaMnAs Using Femtosecond Four-wave Mixing

Published on: December 3, 2013

Universality classes for domain wall motion in the ferromagnetic semiconductor (Ga,Mn)As.

M Yamanouchi¹, J Ieda, F Matsukura

¹Semiconductor Spintronics Project, Exploratory Research for Advanced Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, 1-18 Kitamemachi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-0023, Japan.

Science (New York, N.Y.)

|September 22, 2007

Summary

This study reveals distinct mechanisms driving magnetic domain wall motion in ferromagnetic semiconductors. Magnetic fields and spin currents exhibit different scaling laws, indicating fundamentally different underlying physics.

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Area of Science:

Spintronics
Condensed Matter Physics
Materials Science

Background:

Magnetic domain wall motion is crucial for spintronic devices.
Understanding the driving mechanisms by magnetic fields and spin currents is essential but incomplete.
Ferromagnetic semiconductors like (Ga,Mn)As offer a unique platform to study these phenomena.

Purpose of the Study:

To experimentally compare magnetic domain wall motion mechanisms induced by magnetic fields and spin-polarized currents.
To investigate the thermally activated creep regime in (Ga,Mn)As.
To elucidate the fundamental differences in drive mechanisms.

Main Methods:

Experimental measurements of domain wall velocity in (Ga,Mn)As.
Analysis of motion in the creep regime governed by an Arrhenius scaling law.
Comparison of scaling law exponents for field-driven and current-driven motion.

Main Results:

Domain wall velocity in (Ga,Mn)As follows an Arrhenius scaling law in the creep regime.
Exponents for current-driven and field-driven motion are significantly different.
These differences indicate distinct universality classes for the two drive mechanisms.

Conclusions:

The fundamental mechanisms driving magnetic domain wall motion by magnetic fields and spin currents are fundamentally different.
The observed differences in scaling laws provide critical insights into the physics of domain wall dynamics in ferromagnetic semiconductors.