It was found that high current density needed for the current-driven domain wall motion results in the Joule heating of the sample. The sample temperature, when the current-driven domain wall motion occurred, was estimated by measuring the sample resistance during the application of a pulsed-current. The sample temperature was 750 K for the threshold current density of 6.7 x 10^11 A/m2 in a 10 nm-thick Ni81Fe19 wire with a width of 240 nm. The temperature was raised to 830 K for the current density of 7.5 x 10^11 A/m2, which is very close to the Curie temperature of bulk Ni81Fe19. When the current density exceeded 7.5 x 10^11 A/m2, an appearance of a multi-domain structure in the wire was observed by magnetic force microscopy, suggesting that the sample temperature exceeded the Curie temperature.
@article{arxiv.cond-mat/0409494,
title = {Effect of Joule heating in current-driven domain wall motion},
author = {A. Yamaguchi and H. Tanigawa and T. Ono and S. Nasu and K. Miyake and K. Mibu and T. Shinjo},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/0409494},
year = {2009}
}