Domain-Wall-Assisted Switching of Chains of Coupled Nanomagnets

We experimentally demonstrate that the stray field of a propagating transverse domain wall can switch chains of coupled nanomagnets (nanomagnet wires) to a magnetically ordered, low energy ground state. We fabricated nanomagnet wires consisting of 6 and 20 nanomagnets that were placed adjacent to a domain-wall conductor. Magnetic force microscope images clearly show the nanomagnet wire switching from an initial metastable state to an ordered ground state. This can be exploited for controlled order of nanomagnet switching and for energy-efficient clocking of nanomagnet logic devices. Reference structures were fabricated and characterized to prove our assumptions.