Domain wall resistance in perpendicularly magnetized (Ga,Mn)As

Domain wall (DW) resistance in perpendicularly magnetized (Ga,Mn)As has been investigated. The observed DW resistance is decomposed into extrinsic and intrinsic contributions. The former is explained quantitatively by the zig-zaging current due to an abrupt polarity change of the Hall electric field at DW. The latter is consistent with the disorder-induced mixing of spin channels due to small non-adiabacity of carrier spins subject to spatially varying local magnetic moment and is shown to be an order of magnitude greater than a contribution from anisotropic magnetoresistance.