Effects of current on vortex and transverse domain walls

By using the spin torque model in ferromagnets, we compare the response of vortex and transverse walls to the electrical current. For a defect-free sample and a small applied current, the steady-state wall mobility is independent of the wall structure. In the presence of defects, the minimum current required to overcome the wall pinning potential is much smaller for the vortex wall than for the transverse wall. During the wall motion, the vortex wall tends to transform to the transverse wall. We construct a phase diagram for the wall mobility and the wall transformation driven by the current. (C) 2006 American Institute of Physics.