Domain-wall resistance in ferromagnetic (Ga,Mn)As

Phys Rev Lett. 2006 Mar 10;96(9):096602. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.96.096602. Epub 2006 Mar 6.

Abstract

A series of microstructures designed to pin domain walls (DWs) in (Ga,Mn)As with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy has been employed to determine extrinsic and intrinsic contributions to DW resistance. The former is explained quantitatively as resulting from a polarity change in the Hall electric field at DW. The latter is 1 order of magnitude greater than a term brought about by anisotropic magnetoresistance and is shown to be consistent with disorder-induced mistracking of the carrier spins subject to spatially varying magnetization.