Breaking of chiral symmetry in vortex domain wall propagation in ferromagnetic nanotubes

Abstract This paper is focused to the field-induced dynamics of vortex-like domain walls (VDWs) in magnetic nanotubes (MNTs). Based on a dissipative Lagrangian formalism that fully includes damping as well as exchange and dipole–dipole coupling, it is shown that VDW motion is very sensitive to the chirality, giving rise to a chiral asymmetry in the vortex wall propagation. As a consequence, the dynamics of the wall is fundamentally different to that of nanostripes and solid nanowires. Besides the well-known Walker breakdown that stands at the onset of the precessional wall motion, it is found an additional breakdown field (called here the chiral breakdown) that modifies the steady regime of VDWs. We also show outstanding VDWs dynamical properties at low applied fields, as low-field mobilities ( ∼ 10 km / ( sT ) ) and very short relaxation times ( ∼ 1 ns ), offering a reliable fast control of VDWs velocities ( ∼ 1000 m / s at applied fields of 0.7 mT).