Vortex head-to-head domain walls and their formation in onion-state ring elements

Magnetization configuration of vortex head-to-head (HTH) domain walls and the wall-formation process in Ni₈₀Fe₂₀ ring elements were investigated using magnetic force microscopy (MFM) and micromagnetic simulation. At remanence, two types of vortex HTH domain walls were observed to be stable in the onion configuration, depending on the film thickness: single- and double-vortex HTH domain walls for 40 and 65nm thick ring elements, respectively. As the vortex core nucleated during formation of the HTH domain wall, exchange energy began to decrease, accompanied by an increase in the width of the wall. Vortex nucleation in the 65nm thick ring was found to be much faster than in the 40nm thick ring element. This effect can be attributed to the higher initial magnetostatic energy density in the thicker ring.