Controllable dynamic magnetism in reconfigurable ferroelastic domain-wall networks engineered via nanocavities
Ferroelastic domain walls (DWs) offer a unique platform for engineering dynamic magnetism through controlled symmetry breaking. Here, we demonstrate deterministic magnetic field generation in reconfigurable DW networks using nanocavity-patterned ferroelastic matrices. Atomistic simulations reveal that propagating kinks along polar twin walls induce strain-gradient polarization and displacement current vortices, producing localized magnetic fields $(\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}7}\text{--}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}6} \mathrm{T})$ via flexoelectric coupling. These fields exhibit scale-free avalanche dynamics with universal power-law exponents, mirroring mechanical energy release events during kink nucleation and depinning transitions. To overcome intrinsic disorder limitations, we mimic lithographically defined nanocavities that guide orthogonal DW propagation with cycle-to-cycle reproducibility, achieving local field enhancement compared to stochastic networks. Scanning superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) microscopy on ${\mathrm{SrTiO}}_{3}$ detects out-of-plane magnetic signatures $(\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}7} \mathrm{T})$ persisting for milliseconds, quantitatively matching simulations and indicating extended lifetimes. Crucially, kink velocity-dependent dynamic magnetism is established through synchronized magnetic and energy jerk profiles, resolving the atomic-scale mechanism linking DW motion to emergent magnetism. This work establishes a multiscale framework for defect-engineered ferroelastic materials, bridging atomic-scale polarization dynamics, mesoscale DW circuit design, and macroscale nonvolatile memory functionality. By decoupling magnetic responses from intrinsic disorder, our approach advances ferroelastic DW networks toward practical applications in strain-programmable spintronics and ultrahigh-density racetrack memories.
Authors
- Ekhard K. H. Salje (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8781-6154)
- Suzhi Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1113-6555)
- Harold Y. Hwang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9230-3214)
- Beena Kalisky (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1270-2670)
- Guangming Lu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-7369-7819)
- Hyeok Yoon (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6553-5493)
- Guohua Dong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5484-5442)
- Wei Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5958-3739)
- Shai Rabkin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-2029-7402)
Institutions
- Bar-Ilan University (IL)
- Yantai University (CN)
- University of Cambridge (GB)
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (US)
- Xi'an Jiaotong University (CN)
- Stanford University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Physical review. B./Physical review. B
- Published
- 2025-11-04
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1103/9qkp-g4k6
- Primary Topic
- Multiferroics and related materials
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00