Current-induced magnetic instability in SrRuO3

Current pulses injected into a fully magnetized region of the itinerant ferromagnet SrRuO3 destabilize the uniform state and induce the formation of a domain structure when the current density exceeds a certain threshold. We study the temperature and field dependence of the destabilizing current (I-ds) and compare the results with the temperature and field dependence exhibited by the current required for depinning domain walls in the same region (I-dp). We find a qualitative difference between I-ds and I-dp and suggest that I-ds may be related to current-induced nucleation. (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics.