Direct visualization of domain wall pinning in sub-100 nm 3D magnetic nanowires with cross-sectional curvature

The study of 3D magnetic nanostructures has uncovered rich phenomena including the stabilization of topological spin textures using nanoscale curvature, controlled spin-wave emission, and novel ground states enabled by collective frustrated interactions. From a technological perspective, 3D nanostructures offer routes to ultrahigh density data storage, massive interconnectivity within neuromorphic devices, as well as mechanical induction of stem cell differentiation. However, the fabrication of 3D nanomagnetic systems with feature sizes down to 10 nm poses a significant challenge. Here we present a means of fabricating sub-100 nm 3D ferromagnetic nanowires, with both cross-sectional and longitudinal curvature, using two-photon lithography at a wavelength of 405 nm, combined with conventional deposition. Nanostructures with lateral features as low as 70 nm can be rapidly and reproducibly fabricated. A range of novel domain walls, with anti-vortex textures and hybrid vortex/anti-vortex textures are enabled by the cross-sectional curvature of the system, as demonstrated by micromagnetic simulations. Magnetic force microscopy experiments in an externally applied magnetic field are used to image the injection and pinning of domain walls in the 3D magnetic nanowire. At specific field values, domain walls are observed to hop from trap to trap, providing a direct means to probe the local energy landscape.