Photon pressure and magnetic moment transfer in multilayered nanosize films

The effect of nanosecond laser pulses with λ = 355 nm on the Kerr and Faraday angles in nanosize layered magnetic films Al₂O₃/TbFe/Al₂O₃/TbFe/Al₂O₃ and Al₂O₃/TbFe/Au/TbFe/Al₂O₃ is studied experimentally. The first ferrimagnetic TbFe layer in these films with transverse anisotropy is enriched by terbium, while the second Tb₂₂Fe₇₈ layer is enriched by iron relative to the composition at the compensation point. When the ferrimagnetic TbFe layers in the film are magnetized in the same direction, the magnetooptical characteristics of each TbFe layers and of the film as a whole depend on the laser radiation power, which is in good agreement with the temperature characteristics. When the TbFe layers are magnetized in opposite directions for a high power of nanosecond pulses, the values of the Faraday and Kerr angles for the output TbFe layer sharply change and even reverse their signs. These results are explained by the effect of electrons with a high spin polarization, which are injected by radiation due to the photon pressure. In the case of antiparallel magnetizations of the TbFe layers, a high concentration of such electrons not only changes the local magnetization of the output layer, but also causes its magnetization reversal due to magnetic moment transfer by such electrons.     

Magneto-transport properties of dilute granular ferromagnets

We present magnetoresistance (MR) measurements performed on quench-condensed granular Ni thin films which are on the verge of electric continuity. In these systems, the electric conductivity is believed to be governed by the resistance between a very small number of grains. The films exhibit sharp resistance jumps as a function of magnetic field. We interpret these findings as being the result of magneto-mechanical distortions that occur in single grains which act as bottlenecks in the dilute percolation network. The observed features provide a unique measure of magnetostriction effects in nano-grain structures as well as being able to shed light on some of the properties of regular granular magnetic films.     

Formation of the nanodots and change of the characteristics of thin magnetic films under laser irradiation

Results of experimental investigations of laser radiation interaction with the Ti, Co, NiFe, TbFe and LaSrMnO₃ films are presented. It is shown, that it is possible to improve magnetic characteristics and to obtain magnetic films with regular distribution of nanodots by the laser radiation. It is observed an increasing of magnetic permeability and the reduction of the coercive force after irradiation of the NiFe films by the nanosecond laser pulses that are induced by the substantial growth of the size of the nanodots in the process of recrystallization. Magnetic nanodots of 100–200 nm size are produced by the method of the laser cutting of the continuous magnetic films, or are formed in a nonmagnetic matrix by the diffusion in the multilayered films and oxidization of TbFe and LaSrMnO_3−x films at the irradiation of the nanosecond laser pulses.     

Magnetostriction of FM/TbFe (FM=Fe, Py-permalloy, FeCo) coupled bilayer

Choosing TbFe as the magnetostrictive layer and using soft ferromagnetic materials (FM=Fe, Py-permalloy, FeCo) as the inductive layer, we report the magnetization and magnetostriction of the S/FM(10 nm)/TbFe(10 nm) coupled bilayer (S-glass substrate). The magnetization of the coupled bilayer is attributed to the soft ferromagnetic layer and there is no contribution from the TbFe layer. Interfacial exchange interaction plays an important role in determining the magnetostriction of the coupled bilayer. The effect coming from the deposition Argon pressure on the magnetostriction of the coupled bilayer was also investigated.     

Structure, magnetic and magnetostrictive properties of as-deposited Fe-Ga thin films

Polycrystalline Fe_100−xGa_x (19?x?23) films were grown on Si(1 0 0) substrates at different partial pressures of sputtering gas ranging from 3 to 7 μbar. Microstructural, magnetic and magnetostrictive properties were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and magneto-optic Kerr effect (MOKE) magnetometry respectively. X-ray diffraction showed that all films have the body-centered cubic (bcc) Fe-Ga phase with the 〈1 1 0〉 direction out of the film plane. Magnetic characterization of the films showed that the films prepared at 3 μbar had weak uniaxial anisotropy whereas films grown at Ar pressures in the range 4-7 μbar were magnetically isotropic. The effective saturation magnetostriction constants (λ_eff) of the films were measured using the Villari effect. It was found that effective saturation magnetostriction constants were almost constant over the Ga composition range achieved by varying the sputtering pressure. The measured effective magnetostriction constants fit closely to the calculated saturation magnetostriction constants of 〈1 1 0〉 textured polycrystalline films with the 〈1 1 0〉 directions slightly canted with respect to the normal to the sample surface. It was found that a high pressure of the sputtering gas effected the magnetic softness of the films. The saturation field increased and remanence ratio decreased with increase in pressure.     

(La1-xPrx)2/3Sr1/3MnO3系列的磁致伸缩效应研究

用溶胶-凝胶方法制备了一系列的(La_1-xPr_x)_2/3Sr_{1/3MnO3多晶样品,研究了其电磁性能及磁致伸缩效应,发现样品低温下的磁致伸缩主要以线伸缩为主,且在低场下达到饱和,在Pr含量为0.3时达到最大值,约为-90×10^-6.随Pr掺杂含量的逐渐减小,磁致伸缩的饱和场也逐渐减小. 关键词：}     

Structure,magnetic properties and magnetostriction of Fe81Ga19 thin films

The structure, magnetic properties and magnetostriction of Fe₈₁Ga₁₉ thin films have been investigated by using X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscope (SEM), vibrating sample magnetometer and capacitive cantilever method. It was found that the grain size of as-deposited Fe₈₁Ga₁₉ thin films is 50–60 nm and the grain size increases with increase in the annealing temperature. The remanence ratio (M_r/M_s) of the thin films slowly decreases with increase in the annealing temperature. However, the coercivity of the thin films goes the opposite way with increase in the annealing temperature. A preferential orientation of the Fe₈₁Ga₁₉ thin film fabricated under an applied magnetic field exists along 〈1 0 0〉 direction due to the function of magnetic field during sputtering. An in-plane-induced anisotropy of the thin film is well formed by the applied magnetic field during the sputtering and the formation of in-plane-induced anisotropy results in 90° rotations of the magnetic domains during magnetization and in the increase of magnetostriction for the thin film.     

Photoinduced drift of electrons in thin magnetic films

The results are presented of experimental studies of variations in the polarization of light reflected from multilayer thin metal films containing nonmagnetic Bi or Ti films and a TbFe magnetic film magnetized in the direction perpendicular to the film plane. An additional optical rotation of light reflected from bismuth and titanium films was observed upon their irradiation by intense nanosecond pulses from a semiconductor laser. This optical rotation is attributed to the photoinduced drift of electrons with polarized spins from the magnetic TbFe film.     

Selective-resputtering-induced perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in amorphous TbFe films

Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy energy in rf magnetron sputtered amorphous TbFe films is measured to increase exponentially with pair-order anisotropy induced by the selective resputtering of surface adatoms during film growth.     

Magnetoelastic effects in terbium

The variation of the elastic modulus C₃₃ of terbium has been investigated as a function of temperature in the range 200–230 K, which includes the whole of the antiferromagnetic phase, and as a function of magnetic field applied along the easy magnetic direction, the b axis. Hysteresis in C₃₃ in the antiferromagnetic phase is interpreted in terms of spiral spin domains. The magnetic phase changes are reflected in anomalies in the elastic constant and these are used to produce a magnetic phase diagram of terbium. The final phase diagram has been compared with earlier measurements of magnetisation and magnetostriction.     

Magnetostriction relative to pretransition in Ni50.5Mn24.5Ga25 single crystal

The strain behaviors as well as the structural and magnetic changes relative to the pretransition in the Ni_50.5Mn_24.5Ga₂₅ single crystals have been characterized by various methods, such as pretransition strain, magnetostriction, magnetization measurements, and TEM observations. A large magnetostriction up to 505 ppm measured in the [001] direction of the sample is obtained at the pretransition temperature with only a low magnetic field of about 1 kOe applied along the [010] direction. We found that not only the pretransition strain pronounces a more large change, but also the magnetostriction at a certain temperature exhibits a more large magnitude for field applied along the [010] direction than with field along the [001] direction. It is concluded that the magnetoelastic interaction is responsible for the premartensitic transition, and the magnetoelastic interaction in the [010] direction is stronger than that in the [001] direction.     

Magnetoelastic properties of Nd6Fe13Cu intermetallic compound

Magnetoelastic properties of Nd₆Fe₁₃Cu intermetallic compound are reported. To study the magnetoelastic behaviour of this compound, the thermal expansion as well as the longitudinal (λ_l) and transverse (λ_t) magnetostriction were measured by using the strain gauge method in the selected temperature range of 80-500 K under applied magnetic fields up to 1.5 T. An anomaly and invar-type effects are observed in the linear thermal expansion and α(T) curves at the Néel temperature. The linear spontaneous magnetostriction decreases sharply by approaching the Néel temperature and also shows the short-range magnetic ordering effects when antiferromagnetic-paramagnetic transition occurs. In the low field region, the absolute values of the anisotropic magnetostriction are small and then start to increase with applied magnetic field. Each isofield curve of the anisotropic magnetostriction passes through a minimum and then approaches to zero with increasing temperature. This magnetostriction compensation arises from the difference in the magnetoelastic coupling constants of the sublattices in this compound.     

Electrical conductivity of Zn<Subscript>1−<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Co<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>O ferromagnetic films at low temperatures

The results of experiments on electrical conductivity and magnetic properties of thin cobalt-doped zinc oxide films are reported. The results indicate the predominance of the hoping conduction mechanism at low temperatures and the band mechanism at high temperatures. An increase in the cobalt concentration from 1.5 to 6.3 at % leads to the reduction of the electrical conductivity of the films. The contribution of hopping conduction to the conductivity increases due to a decrease in the crystallinity of the films and localization of a part of electron states upon an increase in the cobalt concentration. For cobalt-containing films, a hysteresis of the magnetic moment as a function of the magnetic field is observed. The dependence of the shape of the magnetization curves on the cobalt concentration is irregular. The paramagnetic contribution to the magnetic susceptibility increases with the cobalt concentration.     

Enhancement of GMI effect in magnetic microwires through the relative temperature dependence of magnetization and anisotropy

We present the study of Giant Magneto Impedance (GMI) effect in magnetic microwires with zero magnetostriction. It is shown that the temperature response of GMI effect can be enhanced by 80% through the relative temperature dependence of magnetization and anisotropy. However, such effect appears only for low amplitudes of exciting current that induces exciting magnetic field below the anisotropy field of the wire. On the other hand, when measuring at high exciting current (when the exciting field exceeds the anisotropy field), the GMI response decreases monotonically with temperature.     

FeCuCrVSiB单层和多层膜的横向巨磁阻抗效应

用射频溅射法制备了Fe_71.5Cu₁Cr_2.5V₄Si₁₂B₉单层膜和结构为(F/S)₃/M/(F/S)₃的多层膜，在制备过程中加72kA/m的纵向磁场.研究表明在制备过程中加磁场明显改善了材料的软磁性能，降低了材料的矫顽力.将样品经不同温度退火热处理后，发现经230℃退火1.5h的单层膜和多层膜具有最佳的软磁性能和最大的磁阻抗效应，单层膜最大横向磁阻抗比为37.5%，多层膜最大横向磁阻抗比高达277%.通过比较单层和多层膜磁阻抗效应随频率和磁场的变化，发现多层膜具有较低的磁阻抗效应的临界频率和峰值特征频率，和较大的磁阻抗变化率，而且有较低的横向磁阻抗效应的饱和场. 关键词： 铁基合金 多层膜 巨磁阻抗效应     

Recent advances in studies of magnetically soft amorphous microwires

In this paper, we present the giant magneto-impedance (GMI) effect (real part of longitudinal impedance, Z, and of the off-diagonal impedance) and hysteretic magnetic properties of amorphous glass-coated microwires with different compositions possessing nearly zero, positive and negative magnetostriction constant and metallic nucleus diameter ranging between 6 and 16 μm. Enhanced soft magnetic properties (low coercivity of about 4 A/m) and high-GMI effect have been observed in Co-rich microwires with vanishing magnetostriction constant. The magnetic anisotropy field of these microwires depends on the ratio between metallic diameter, d and total microwires diameter, D. Stress-sensitive magnetic properties have been obtained in Fe-rich microwires after stress annealing: hysteresis loop stress-annealed (SA) microwires drastically changes under applied stress. A variety of hysteresis loops with different hysteresis loops can be obtained in Fe-rich microwires changing the conditions (time and/or temperature) of the stress annealing. The obtained results allow us to tailor the microwire magnetic properties for magnetic sensors applications through selection of their composition and/or geometry and by thermal treatment.     

Training effect in an exchange bias system: the role of interfacial domain walls

Polarized neutron reflectivity (PNR) is used to obtain the magnetic depth profile of an antiferromagnetically coupled ferrimagnetic/ferrimagnetic bilayer, Gd40Fe60/Tb12Fe88. This system shows a transition from positive to negative exchange bias field H(E) as the cooling field H(cf) is increased from small to large positive value. It also exhibits training behavior upon field cycling which affects H(E) and the coercive field H(C). From the PNR measurements at room temperature and at 15 K, we confirm that the magnetic configuration inside the TbFe layer is frozen when the sample is cooled in various H(cf). The thickness and pitch of the magnetic twist inside the TbFe layer depend on H(cf) and give rise to the observed differences in the bias field. Irreversible reorganization of the TbFe magnetization at the interface occurs upon GdFe magnetization reversal and is found to explain the training effect as well as the overall reduction in coercivity.     

Magnetostriction of a single crystal of nickel observed with an X-ray four-circle goniometer

We proposed a technique to observe magnetostrictive coefficients of a single crystal specimen with X-ray diffraction. An angle between a direction of crystallographic orientation and a direction of magnetic field could be estimated with two kinds of diffraction peaks which were found with an X-ray four-circle goniometer. The magnetostriction was measured by a shift of Bragg angle. This technique was suitable for a case to observe the magnetostrictive coefficient which varied as a function of the magnetic field direction. We applied the technique to a single crystal specimen of nickel and showed dependences of the magnetostriction on the magnetic field strength and its direction around an axis of easy magnetization at room temperature.     

Multiferroic properties in terbium orthoferrite

Multiferroic properties in a polycrystalline terbium orthoferrite are investigated. Different thermomagnetic behaviors are observed in different magnetic fields, which is attributed to the suppression of the low temperature magnetic phase by an external magnetic field. Further studies reveal that the ferroelectricity originates from the spin configuration below3.5 K. In addition, the magnetic field control of electric polarization and dielectric constant is observed, which suggests a magnetoelectric effect in TbFeO3. The origin of ferroelectricity in this rare-earth orthoferrite is discussed.     

Magnetic Properties of Amorphous and Nanocrystalline Fe-Zr-B-Al Alloys

We have investigated the influence of aluminium substitution for iron on the magnetic properties of amorphous and nanocrystalline Fe_88-x Zr₇B₅Al _x alloys (x = 0, 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 at.%). Thermomagnetic curves show an increase of Curie and crystallization temperature of amorphous phase with the increase of the content of aluminium in the alloy. The increase of aluminium content up to 3 at.% Al does not cause the decrease of a saturation magnetization in the as-quenched sample. In addition, magnetostriction of the annealed alloys has been studied. Also, the increase of aluminium content in the alloy causes an increase of the magnetostriction constant.