Perpendicular interlayer coupling in Ni80Fe20/NiO/Co trilayers

An in-plane perpendicular magnetic coupling between Ni80Fe20 and Co has been found in NiFe/NiO/Co trilayers for a NiO thickness ranging from 4 to 25 nm by magneto-optical Kerr effect and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism measurements. In the easy magnetization direction of the Co layer, the Co coercive field H(C) increases when the thickness of the NiO layer t(NiO) increases. Because of the coupling, H(C) is always larger than for NiO/Co bilayers with the same thicknesses. The saturation field of the NiFe layer H(S) decreases when t(NiO) increases, indicating a weakening of the coupling. Numerical simulations show that the presence of interface roughness combined with a small value of the NiO anisotropy can explain the observed 90 degrees coupling.     

Influence of V and Mo overlayer on magneto-optical Kerr effect in ultrathin Co films

A method for characterization of sub-nanometer thick Co/V and Co/Mo interfaces is proposed that uses magneto-optical ellipsometry. Both the polar Kerr rotation and ellipticity are fitted simultaneously to different models of interface layer. The magneto-optical data are measured for varying thicknesses of the cobalt layer and overlayer by scanning of a laser beam over the samples with two orthogonal wedges. Decrease of magneto-optical effect at both interfaces Co/V and Co/Mo were observed, which corresponds to interface layers of thicknesses ranging from one to two monoatomic layers. In the case of vanadium, the interface layer is sharper and can be explained either by reduced magnetic moment of cobalt, or by anti-parallel magnetic moment of vanadium near the Co/V interface.     

Evidence for noncollinearity between surface and bulk magnetization in ultrathin Co films

The magnetization reversal of ultrathin Co films on Cu(001) has been investigated by grazing ion scattering and magneto-optical Kerr effect. Differences in the behavior of surface and bulk magnetization are found and attributed to the reduced coordination and site symmetry at the surface. The reversal behavior of the surface magnetization depends on the chemical surface composition. For pure Co films, the reversal of the bulk magnetization is preceded by a complete reversal of the surface magnetization. A particular magnetic state of the surface is suggested as a precursor for magnetization reversal.     

Anisotropy of the optical and magneto-optical response of Au/Co/Au/Cu multilayers grown on vicinal Si (111) surfaces

The optical and magneto-optical second harmonic reflectivity response of Au/Co/Au/Cu multilayers grown on vicinal Si (111) substrates has been studied. These azimuthal optical non-linear experiments check the uniaxial character of the crystallinity of the Au buffer layer and the magnetic behavior of the ultrathin Co films in the metallic multilayer. They clearly show the strong dependence of the growth parameters and the misorientation of the vicinal surface on the SHG reflectivity signals. This uniaxial behavior is also correlated to linear MOKE experiments on the magnetic anisotropy with an easy magnetization axis parallel to the step edges. Received: 16 October 2001 / Published online: 29 May 2002     

Spin-flip processes and ultrafast magnetization dynamics in Co: Unifying the microscopic and macroscopic view of femtosecond magnetism

The femtosecond magnetization dynamics of a thin cobalt film excited with ultrashort laser pulses has been studied using two complementary pump-probe techniques, namely, spin-, energy-, and time-resolved photoemission and the time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect. Combining the two methods, it is possible to identify the microscopic electron spin-flip mechanisms responsible for the ultrafast macroscopic magnetization dynamics of the cobalt film. In particular, we show that electron-magnon excitation does not affect the overall magnetization even though it is an efficient spin-flip channel on the sub-200 fs time scale. Instead, we find experimental evidence for the relevance of Elliott-Yafet-type spin-flip processes for the ultrafast demagnetization taking place on a time scale of 300 fs.     

Evidence for an anisotropy-induced non-collinear spin state in exchange-coupled Co/Cu(001)

The magnetization behaviour of a Co/Cu/Co(001) sandwich has been studied by magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements. The sample was grown by molecular beam epitaxy onto a sapphire (1 .2) substrate with a Cu/Cr/Nb(001) buffer system. The copper layer had the form of a wedge with the thickness range chosen to be around the second region of antiferromagnetic exchange coupling. The hysteresis loops in the regime of weak antiferromagnetic coupling show characteristic steps, which can be explained by an anisotropy-induced non-collinear spin state. Indication for a similar behaviour is also found in the regime of strong antiferromagnetic coupling. This behaviour is explained by taking into account the competition between anisotropy, interlayer exchange coupling and external field energy. The nature of this metastable non-collinear magnetization state is in marked contrast to the biquadratic (90°) exchange coupling which was discovered in Fe/Cr(001).     

Anisotropic interface magnetoresistance in Pt/Co/Pt sandwiches

We report on an effect of reduced dimensionality on the magnetotransport in cobalt layers sandwiched by platinum. In a current in-plane geometry it is found that the resistivity depends on the magnetization orientation within the plane perpendicular to the current direction. The resistivity shows a symmetry adapted cos(2) dependence on the angle to the surface normal, with the maximum along the surface normal. The Co thickness dependence of the effect in Pt/Co/Pt sandwiches clearly points out that the mechanism behind this effect originates at the Co/Pt interfaces and is disparate to the texture induced geometrical size effect.     

三方晶系的非线性磁光克尔谱及其表面磁化强度取向的效应

本文计算了三方结构不同表面和不同磁化强度取向下的χ⁽²⁾、SHG、MSHG及非线性克尔旋转角Φ_k,a⁽²⁾.结果表明,SHG和Φ_k,a⁽²⁾值非常灵敏地依赖于薄膜的表面及磁化强度的取向;三方结构的SHG、Φ_k,a⁽²⁾与fcc、bcc和hcp结构的相比有很大的差异,这表明结构对非线性磁光效应有重要的影响;当M//X、Y轴时,MSHG信号很明显,这表明可通过A值的测量来研究磁性薄膜表面的磁畴结构以及取向.     

Observation of unequal activation volumes of wall-motion and nucleation processes in Co/Pd multilayers

We report the difference in activation volumes of wall-motion and nucleation processes in Co/Pd multilayers. Each activation volume was estimated from field dependence of wall-motion speed and nucleation rate, obtained by real-time domain imaging using a magneto-optical Kerr effect microscope. Delicate analysis shows that the two activation volumes are generally unequal and the ratio between the volumes varies noticeably from 0.9 to 1.1 with change of the multilayered structure. We found that the inequality in the two activation volumes has a crucial influence on magnetization reversal behavior: a process having a smaller activation volume dominates.     

Optical and magneto-optical properties of MBE grown Co/Au multilayers

The optical and magneto-optical properties of Co/Au multilayers, grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), have been examined in the wavelength range 300 to 900 nm using ellipsometry and normal incidence Kerr polarimetry. The dispersion of fundamental optical and magneto-optical constants and the complex Kerr rotation are discussed in terms of the interaction of electromagnetic radiation with a multilayered structure. This is done on the basis of a single equivalent layer approach for dealing with multilayered media using values for the optical constants of cobalt and gold measured on single films of these materials grown by MBE. It is suggested that a restriction of the mean free path of the conduction electrons in the gold layers, of the order of the individual sub-layer thickness, accounts for some aspects of the observed optical spectra.     

Growth mode, magnetic and magneto-optical properties of pulsed-laser-deposited Au/Co/Au(1 1 1) trilayers

The growth mode, magnetic and magneto-optical properties of epitaxial Au/Co/Au(1 1 1) ultrathin trilayers grown by pulsed-laser deposition (PLD) under ultra-high vacuum are presented. Sapphire wafers buffered with a single-crystalline Mo(1 1 0) buffer layer were used as substrates. Owing to PLD-induced interfacial intermixing at the lower Co/Au(1 1 1) interface, a close-to layer-by-layer growth mode is promoted. Surprisingly, despite this intermixing, ferromagnetic behavior is found at room temperature for coverings starting at 1 atomic layer (AL). The films display perpendicular magnetization with anisotropy constants reduced by 50% compared to TD-grown or electrodeposited films, and with a coercivity more than one order of magnitude lower . The magneto-optical (MO) response in the low Co thickness range is dominated by Au/Co interface contributions. For thicknesses starting at 3 AL Co, the MO response has a linear dependence with the Co thickness, indicative of a continuous-film-like MO behavior.     

Magnetic and magneto-optical properties of epitaxial cobalt films grown on a corrugated CaF<Subscript>2</Subscript>/Si surface

The magnetic properties of CaF₂/Co/CaF₂(110)/Si(001) heterostructures fabricated by molecular-beam epitaxy and having a corrugated CaF₂ buffer surface were studied. The optical and magneto-optical properties of these structures reflect the C _2v symmetry of the corrugated structure surface. The studies of hysteresis loops using the longitudinal and transverse magneto-optical Kerr effects under oblique light incidence and of magneto-optical phenomena under near-normal light incidence demonstrate that the corrugated structure surface leads to optical and magneto-optical anisotropies. The magnetization of such structures occurs via coherent magnetization rotation over a wide magnetic-field range. The magnetic anisotropy of these structures is described using a Gaussian distribution of easy axes of magnetization in cobalt granules about the direction parallel to the groove direction. The asymmetry of hysteresis loops of the rotation of the plane of polarization detected under oblique and normal light incidence is shown to be related to the contributions to the effective film permittivity that are quadratic in the magnetic moment.     

Structural and magnetic properties of Co-C composite films and Co/C multilayer films

CoC composite films and Co/C multilayer films have been prepared by a method incorporating ion beam sputtering and plasma chemical vapor deposition. It has been found that the structure and magnetic properties of both the Co-C composite and the Co/C multilayer films depend strongly on the substrate temperature during deposition. The Co-C composite film deposited at room temperature is amorphous, with relatively low saturation magnetization and coercivity. On the other hand, the film deposited at 250 °C is composed of fine Co crystallites separated by amorphous C or Co-C phase. As a result, both the saturation magnetization and coercivity are increased compared with the film deposited at room temperature. When deposited at room temperature, the Co/C multilayer film exhibits good periodicity, with a period of 70 nm (Co: 40 nm, C: 30 nm) and sharp and flat Co-C interfaces. High magnetization (602 emu/cm³) and low coercivity (1.6 Oe) are obtained for such a film. However, increasing the substrate temperature to 250 °C was found to be detrimental to the magnetic properties due to the formation of cobalt carbide at the Co-C interface. Received: 11 July 2000 / Accepted: 13 July 2000 / Published online: 30 November 2000     

High-frequency dynamics of Co/Fe multilayers with stripe domains

Within the framework of two-dimensional (2D) numerical micromagnetic simulations, the equilibrium magnetization configuration and the high-frequency (0.1–30 GHz) linear response of Co/Fe multilayers have been investigated in detail. Due to the perpendicular anisotropy of Co layers, a stripe domain pattern can develop through the whole multilayer, the characteristics of which depend on the magnitude of the perpendicular anisotropy, the respective thicknesses of Co and Fe layers and the number of Co/Fe bilayers in the stack. One of the most striking features associated with the layering effect is the ripening aspect of the static magnetization configuration across the multilayers which induces complicated dynamic susceptibility spectra including surface modes and volume modes strongly confined within the inner Fe layers. The effect of the cubic magnetocrystalline anisotropy of Fe layers and the influence of a nonuniform perpendicular magnetic anisotropy within the Co layers on the static and dynamic magnetic properties of Co/Fe multilayers are then analyzed quantitatively.     

Manipulating magnetic anisotropies of Co/MgO(001) ultrathin films via oblique deposition

We present a systematic investigation of magnetic anisotropy induced by oblique deposition of Co thin films on MgO(001) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy at different deposition angles,i.e.,0?,30?,45?,60?,and 75?with respect to the surface normal.Low energy electron diffraction(LEED),surface magneto–optical Kerr effect(SMOKE),and anisotropic magnetoresistance(AMR) setups were employed to investigate the magnetic properties of cobalt films.The values of in-plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy(UMA) constant Ku and four-fold magnetocrystalline anisotropy constant K1 were derived from magnetic torque curves on the base of AMR results.It was found that the value of Ku increases with increasing deposition angle with respect to the surface normal,while the value of K_1 remains almost constant for all the samples.Furthermore,by using MOKE results,the Ku values of the films deposited obliquely were also derived from the magnetization curves along hard axis.The results of AMR method were then compared with that of hard axis fitting method(coherent rotation) and found that both methods have almost identical values of UMA constant for each sample.     

Giant Magnetic Field Induced Effects in the Second-Harmonic Generation in a Planar Anisotropic Ta/Co/Pt Structure

JETP Letters - Magnetic field induced effects in the second-harmonic generation in a thin asymmetric Ta/Co/Pt trilayer film with in-plane magnetic anisotropy are investigated. It is shown that the...     

Pt插层对Co/FeMn界面的影响

采用磁控溅射的方法制备了Co/FeMn/Co多层膜,研究了Co（底部）/FeMn和FeMn/Co（顶部）界面插入Pt层后磁矩的变化情况．通过测量磁滞回线可知,Co（底部）/FeMn界面的Pt插层改变了体系的饱和磁化强度Ｍ_s,随着Co层厚度（t_Co）的增加Ｍ_s不断趋近于Co块体结构理论值1440 kA/m．这是因为Co（底部）/FeMn界面产生了净磁矩,而界面处的Pt插层可以减少这种净磁矩的产生．但是 关键词： 磁性多层膜 垂直磁各向异性 交换耦合     

Preparation,characterization and magneto-optical investigations of electrodeposited Co/Au films

Au/Co(4–8 ML)/Au single magnetic layers and Au(8 ML)/Co(4 ML)/Au(8 ML)/Co(8 ML)/Au bilayer were sequentially grown by electrodeposition on an Au(1 1 1) buffer layer electrodeposited on Si(1 1 1). The technique used in this work provides full control on the structure and the chemical composition of the different layers (no alloying) as well as on the chemistry at interfaces. scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging and X-ray diffraction measurements show that atomically flat continuous Co(0 0 0 1) layers (4–8 ML) can be grown in epitaxy with the Au(1 1 1) substrate and that the 2 nm-thick spacer is also a continuous Au(1 1 1) layer. The Co ultrathin layers (4 and 8 ML) exhibit perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. The lateral magnetic homogeneity and magnetization reversal process have been investigated by scanning magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) magnetometry and global Kerr microscopy. The correlation between magnetization switching behaviour in each layer of the Co-bilayer stack has been evidenced from in-depth sensitive MOKE measurements and microscopy. The strong coupling observed between the two Co layers is attributed to magnetostatic interaction at domain wall boundaries.     

Magnetization reversal of elliptic Co/Si/Co nanodisks in the field of a magnetic-force microscope probe

The processes of local magnetization reversal of elliptic Co/Si/Co nanodisks under the action of a nonuniform magnetic field of a magnetic-force microscope (MFM) probe have been investigated. The specific features of the distribution of the phase MFM contrast from particles with ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic configurations of the magnetic moments in neighboring Co layers have been discussed. It has been shown experimentally that, under the action of the probe field, there occur orientational transitions of two types: transitions from the ferromagnetic configuration to the antiferromagnetic configuration due to the reorientation of the magnetization of the upper layer and transitions in the antiferromagnetic configuration with a change in the orientation of the magnetic moment in both ferromagnetic layers. The presented results of micromagnetic simulation of the processes of transformation of the magnetization in such particles under the action of the MFM probe field explain the main regularities of the magnetization reversal processes.