journal article·2026-03Open access

Observation of Relativistic Domain Wall Motion in Amorphous Ferrimagnets

Pietro Diona, Luca Maranzana, Sergey Artyukhin, Giacomo Sala

Advanced Functional Materials· Volume 36· Issue 23

Abstract

Abstract Domain walls in ferrimagnets and antiferromagnets behave as relativistic sine‐Gordon solitons with the spin‐wave group velocity setting the ultimate velocity of domain walls and speed of magnetic devices. While this relativistic regime has been achieved in crystalline ferrimagnets, they cannot be routinely integrated in devices. To enable technological breakthroughs, relativistic dynamics must be demonstrated in easy‐to‐integrate ferrimagnets such as rare‐earth – transition‐metal alloys. However, this scenario remains elusive due to the inherent magnetic disorder of these materials, their complex spin‐wave spectra, and challenges in modeling their ultrafast dynamics. Here, relativistic domain wall motion is demonstrated in amorphous ferrimagnetic GdFeCo devices operated in the proximity of the angular momentum compensation point. The current‐induced domain wall velocity saturates within 10% of the spin‐wave speed of 2 kms −1 , a behavior consistent with relativistic model of domain wall motion. The observation of relativistic dynamics in technologically relevant ferrimagnets opens the way to magnetic devices operating at the ultimate speed limit.
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Research context

OpenAlex topics: Magnetic properties of thin films · Chemical and Physical Properties of Materials · Nonlinear Photonic Systems

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Nanoscience Scuola Normale Superiore Piazza dei Cavalieri 7 Pisa 56126 Italy

Quantum Materials Theory Italian Institute of Technology Via Morego 30 Genoa 16163 Italy

Department of Materials ETH Zürich Hönggerbergring 64 8093 Zürich Switzerland

Department of Physics University of Genoa Via Dodecaneso 33 Genoa 16146 Italy

Department of Quantum Matter Physics University of Geneva Quai Ernest Ansermet 24 Geneva 1205 Switzerland

Funding

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung

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