Magnetization texture imprints produced by flux avalanches in ferromagnet/insulator/superconductor heterostructures

Abstract The magnetic textures generated by a perpendicularly applied magnetic field at the ferromagnetic layer of Co/Al 2 O 3 /Nb thin film heterostructures are investigated using magneto-optical imaging and micromagnetic simulations. It is observed that the stray field caused by flux avalanches in the superconducting layer prints out a non-trivial in-plane texture in the cobalt layer, which remains stable up to temperatures well above the Nb critical temperature. These textures mimic quite closely the dendritic thermomagnetic flux avalanches that penetrate the Nb layer from its edges. For low cobalt thickness, the filamentary magnetic textures occur in pairs with opposite polarity. The previous in-plane magnetization determines the relative location of the magnetic filaments with respect to the avalanche position. Micromagnetic simulations solving the Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert equation confirm the interpretation given for the experimental findings.