Controlled Domain Wall Pinning in Permalloy Nanowire by Nanoparticle Stray Fields

We report the results of experimental investigations of controlled domain wall (DW) pinning in a ferromagnetic nanowire (NW) by stray fields of two uniformly magnetized bistable ferromagnetic nanoparticles (NPs) placed on either side of the NW and elongated parallel to the NW axis. We show by magnetic force microscopy that DW pinning strength essentially depends on the orientation of the NP magnetic moments relative to the NW magnetization. The logic cell with a switchable logical function is discussed.