Dynamics of <Emphasis Type="Italic">ab</Emphasis>-type domain walls in magnets with quadratic magnetoelectric interaction

The dynamics of the ab-type 180-degree domain walls was studied in weak ferromagnets with quadratic magnetoelectric interaction in alternating magnetic and electric fields. The features of the oscillatory and drift motion of the domain walls are discussed. The drift velocity of the ab-type domain walls as a function of the frequency and phase shift of the external fields is obtained. The possibility of the drift of the domain walls in a purely electric field is established.     

Dynamics of large-scale magnetic inhomogeneities in seignette-magnetics with linear magnetoelectric effect

The nonlinear dynamics of 180° domain walls in magnetics with linear magnetoelectric interaction is investigated. The features of oscillatory and drift motion of domains in variable magnetic and electric fields are discussed. The drift velocities of ac- and ab-types domain walls as functions of the frequency and phase shift of external fields are obtained. It is found that the velocities can reach several tens cm/s for resonance frequencies.     

Relaxation stimulated in the domain structure of a triglycine sulfate crystal by an alternating-current electric field

The relaxation of the domain structure in a triglycine sulfate crystal from a nonequilibrium state induced by an alternating-current electric field has been investigated. The distributions of the activation energy of the processes under consideration and the energy of interaction of domain walls with defects over the exciting fields have been obtained.     

Drift theory of charged-particle motion for a strong electric field in a weakly relativistic approximation

Drift equations of motion are derived for a charged particle in the case of a strong electric field with allowance for relativistic effects of order v²/c². The role of these effects is discussed along with the effects of a high-frequency field. The cases of weak and strong electric fields are distinguished [2] in the drift theory of the motion of charged particles in weakly inhomogeneous magnetic and electric fields. In the case of a weak electric field, the electric-drift velocity is v_E v, where v is the characteristic velocity of the particle. For a strong electric field,v _Ev.The drift theory has now been reasonably well developed for the case of weak electric fields in the classical and relativistic cases, for the absence of high-frequency fields and for the presence of these [1–3], Extension of the theory to strong electric fields involves considerable mathematical difficulties, and this has been done only in the classical approximation with and without hf fields [2–4], Here we consider the drift theory of charged-particle motion for the case of a strong electric field in the weakly relativistic approximation, incorporating terms of order v²/c², where c is the velocity of light. Also hf fields may be present.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 9, pp. 7–9, September, 1981.     

“Switching” of the nanodomain state of the frustrated ferromagnet-antiferromagnet system by an external magnetic field

The phenomenon of ??switching?? of the domain walls generated by frustrations in a two-layer ferromagnet-antiferromagnet nanostructure has been studied using numerical simulation methods. This phenomenon manifests itself in the fact that, as the magnetic field increases, the ferromagnetic layer divided into nanodomains by domain walls perpendicular to the layer plane becomes single-domain, and the antiferromagnetic layer that is uniform in weak fields is divided into 180° domains by the domain walls perpendicular to the layer. The structures of these domain walls have been calculated in various magnetic fields.     

Effect of E × B electron drift and plasma discharge in dc magnetron sputtering plasma

Study of electron drift velocity caused by Etimes B motion is done with the help of a Mach probe in a dc cylindrical magnetron sputtering system at different plasma discharge parameters like discharge voltage, gas pressure and applied magnetic field strength. The interplay of the electron drift with the different discharge parameters has been investigated. Strong radial variation of the electron drift velocity is observed and is found to be maximum near the cathode and it decreases slowly with the increase of radial distance from the cathode. The sheath electric field, E measured experimentally from potential profile curve using an emissive probe is contributed to the observed radial variation of the electron drift velocity. The measured values of the drift velocities are also compared with the values from the conventional theory using the experimental values of electric and magnetic fields. This study of the drift velocity variation is helpful in providing a useful insight for determining the discharge conditions and parameters for sputter deposition of thin film.     

Dynamic drift of the magnetic domains in ferrite-garnet crystals

The drift of stripe-domain walls in a (111) ferrite-garnet plate with orthorhombic anisotropy and quality factor Q < 1 in an alternating magnetic field of 30–1000 Hz was investigated. The obtained experimental dependences of the domain wall drift velocity on the magnetic field frequency and amplitude are compared to the corresponding theoretical dependences.     

Kinetics of magnetization reversal in a thin La<Subscript>0.7</Subscript>Sr<Subscript>0.3</Subscript>MnO<Subscript>3</Subscript> manganite film

The kinetics of magnetization reversal of a thin LSMO film has been studied for the first time. It is shown that the magnetic domain structure critically depends on the conditions of structure formation. In the demagnetized state (after zero-field cooling from T _c ), a maze-like domain microstructure with perpendicular magnetization is formed in the film. However, after field cooling and/or saturating magnetization by a field of arbitrary orientation, the [110] direction of spontaneous magnetization in the film plane is stabilized; this pattern corresponds to macrodomains with in-plane magnetization. Further film magnetization reversal (both quasi-static and pulsed) from this state is implemented via nucleation and motion of 180° “head-to-head” domain walls. Upon pulse magnetization reversal, the walls “jump” at a distance proportional to the applied field strength and then undergo thermally activated drift. All dynamic characterisitcs critically depend on the temperature when the latter varies around the room temperature.     

Characteristics of electron drift in the low-pressure gas discharge

The features of the energy distribution function of electrons during their drift in neon are analyzed for typical conditions of experiments with dust structures in plasma. The energy balance of electrons and drift characteristics in an electric field at strengths 13 < E/N < 42 Td were calculated taking into account inelastic collisions and the effect of electron loss on gas-discharge tube walls.     

Surface‐Driven Asymmetry and Instability in the Acceleration Region of Hall Thruster

It has been shown experimentally that the channel wall material has a substantial effect on the behaviour of Hall discharges. For this reason, the radial profile inside the Hall thruster SPT‐100 is investigated in detail. This is done by a one‐dimensional fully kinetic self‐consistent Particle‐in‐Cell model between the two walls in the acceleration region of the channel. A detailed Monte Carlo probabilistic model for secondary electron emission is implemented as boundary module. Using the local field approximation, two different operative conditions (axial electric field E_z =100 V/cm and 300 V/cm) have been simulated. For high discharge voltage case, a strong radial asymmetry and a stream instability propagating all along the radial domain are detected, while in the low voltage case a stable classical situation is recovered. The critical parameters for triggering this unstable regime are the electron azimuthal drift energy and the induced secondary electron emission, while the saturation mechanism is the increasing of the temperature of the initially cold secondary‐electrons. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Anomalous plasma diffusion transverse to high magnetic fields in InSb

Investigations on the ambipolar diffusion of an electron-hole plasma transverse to a magnetic field have been carried out in InSb. A plasma layer, produced at the surface of the sample by a short laser pulse, was moved through the sample in crossed electric and magnetic fields by the Lorentz force. From the broadening of the plasma layer we found at 80K an enhanced diffusion coefficient which decreased proportional to 1/B for magnetic fields higher than 1T, constrary to the expected classical 1/B ² dependence. Furthermore, the diffusion coefficient was strongly dependent on the electric field. The ambipolar drift velocity, measured simultaneously showed a classical behaviour. Together with the enhanced diffusion we observed instabilites in the electric potential. The instability threshold decreased towards the cathode.     

Evolution of domain structure and formation of charged domain walls during polarization reversal in lithium niobate single crystals modified by vacuum annealing

The evolution of the domain structure during polarization reversal has been investigated in plates of lithium niobate with spatially inhomogeneous electrical conductivity produced by vacuum annealing. The formation of charged domain walls in the crystal bulk has been studied. Revealed features of the domain growth in the bulk have been attributed to the formation of nanodomains under the pyroelectric field and inhomogeneous spatial distribution of the electric field. Creation of the charged domain walls with controlled parameters is of great interest for domain walls engineering.     

Structure and dynamic properties of the twisted magnetic domain wall in an electric field

The structure of the domain wall in a magnetically uniaxial ferromagnetic film placed in an external electric field has been studied. It has been shown that the domain wall has a complex twisted structure whose characteristics (thickness, profile, and limit velocity of steady motion) depend on the film thickness, quality factor, and external electric field. The effect of the electric field on the domain wall is caused by inhomogeneous magnetoelectric coupling taking place in domain walls with a twisted structure.     

Measurement of the hot-electron conductivity in semiconductors using ultrafast electric pulses

Semiconductor response to ultrafast electric pulses was investigated both theoretically and experimentally. The possibilities for hot-electron drift velocity estimation from a pulsed electric conductivity measurement were analysed. An optoelectronic arrangement with time resolution of 20 ps was used to perform such measurements on then-InSb andn-InAs single crystals. Negative differential mobility (n.d.m.) was observed in both semiconductors at high electric fields.     

On the free energy of the flexomagnetoelectric interactions

It was shown that free energy density of the local flexomagnetoelectric effect is determined by the four phenomenological constants in case of the cubic (hexoctahedral) crystal. The well-known single-constant Lifshitz invariant term is correct only when fixed electric polarization induces the inhomogeneity of the magnetization. Proposed phenomenological theory was applied to the magnetic domain walls. The domain wall structure has been investigated in details. The four-constant phenomenological theory conforms to the symmetry based predictions (Bar'yakhtar et al., 1984, [12]). The proposed experimental verification of the four-constant flexomagnetoelectric phenomenology is a detection of the shift of the Néel domain walls under the strong homogeneous electric field.     

“Switching” phase transition of the nanodomain state of the frustrated ferromagnet-antiferromagnet system

The phenomenon of switching of the domain walls generated by frustrations in a two-layer ferromagnet-antiferromagnet nanostructure has been studied theoretically taking into account the energy of the uniaxial anisotropy beyond the exchange approximation. This phenomenon manifests itself in the fact that, as the magnetic field increases, the ferromagnetic layer divided into nanodomains by domain walls perpendicular to the layer plane becomes single-domain, and the antiferromagnetic layer that is uniform in weak fields is divided into 180° domains by the domain walls perpendicular to the layer. The phase diagram of the two-layer nanostructure has been constructed in the variables “the magnetic field-the characteristic distance between atomic step edges at the interface between the layers.”     

Mode dependent scattering of phonons by domain walls in ferroelectric KDP

Thermal conductivity and ballistic phonon imaging measurements in KH₂PO₄ (KDP) at low temperature (T<3K) indicate that scattering from domain walls has a large effect on phonon transport. kDP has a ferroelectric phase transition from tetragonal to orthorhombic structure atT _c =122 K. BelowT _c domains of opposite electric polarization and crystal orientation form unless the sample is colled in an electric field. Thermal conductivity measured along the [100] (tetragonal) axis drops 30% when domain walls are present, which is independent of sample size and temperature. We attribute this decrease to phonon polarization-dependent scattering at the domain boundaries. This is verified by measurements of ballistic transport, using phonon imaging techniques, which reveal the phonon polarization and mode dependence of the scattering. The scattering is successfully modelled using continuum acoustics with simple acoustic mismatch at the domainwall. The interface scattering is found to be mode dependent: Caustic structures in the phonon images due to slow transverse phonons are most affected by the domain wall scattering, which channels these phonons along parallel planes by multiple reflections without mode conversion. Mode conversion scattering, though possible for a number of phonons, has little effect on the overall phonon transmission.     

Unusual domain evolution in semiconducting ferroelectrics: A phase field study

The effect of electrical conductivity on the domain evolution of semiconducting ferroelectrics is investigated using a phase field model which includes the drift of space charges. Phase field simulations show that the tail-to-tail 90° charged domain wall appears during the domain formation in the semiconducting ferroelectrics at zero field, which is prohibited in common insulating ferroelectrics. Due to the screening of polarization charges, the domain switching takes place through the motion of head-to-head 180° charged domain wall in the semiconducting single-domain ferroelectrics subjected to an electric field. Comparing to the insulating ferroelectrics, the semiconducting ferroelectrics have a lower speed of domain evolution due to the decrease of mobility of charged domain walls. The response of semiconducting ferroelectrics to a mechanical load is also found different from that of insulating ferroelectrics.     

Exact Solution of a Test Particle in Presence of Thick Domain Walls

We have obtained the exact solution of the equations of motion of a test particle near a thick domain walls. From the solution it has been shown that the domain walls have repulsive gravitational fields.