Universal absence of Walker breakdown and linear current–velocity relation via spin–orbit torques in coupled and single domain wall motion

Abstract

We consider theoretically domain wall motion driven by spin-orbit and spin Hall torques. We find that it is possible to achieve universal absence of Walker breakdown for all spin-orbit torques using experimentally relevant spin-orbit coupling strengths. For spin-orbit torques other than the pure Rashba spin-orbit torque, this gives a linear current-velocity relation instead of a saturation of the velocity at high current densities. The effect is very robust and is found in both soft and hard magnetic materials, as well as in the presence of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction and in coupled domain walls in synthetic antiferromagnets, where it leads to very high domain wall velocities. Moreover, recent experiments have demonstrated that the switching of a synthetic antiferromagnet does not obey the usual spin Hall angle dependence, but that domain expansion and contraction can be selectively controlled toggling only the applied in-plane magnetic field magnitude and not its sign. We show that the combination of spin Hall torques and interlayer exchange coupling produces the necessary relative velocities for this switching to occur.