This project aims to develop and use an ultrafast magneto-optical technique to capture single domain wall movements in magnetic nanostructures in real time. The domain walls will be pushed by electrical current pulses along thin film magnetic wire elements. This so-called current-induced domain wall propagation has potential applications in a range of spintronic devices, from magnetic memory chips to sensors and logic circuits, but the underlying phyiscs is not yet well understood. This project will examine the stochastic nature of the dynamic current-induced domain wall propagation, and will determine the extent to which current- and applied field-induced domain wall dynamics can be described within the same theoretical framework. This study will be a key step towards developing a fuller understanding of the interaction between spin-polarized electrical currents and domain walls.
