Perpendicular Exchange Coupling in TbFeCo/FePt Bilayer Films

We investigate the structure and exchange coupling in TbFeCo/FePt bilayer films. It is found that FePt has the L10 structure and the easy axis of the FePt film is perpendicular to the film plane. Results of the vibrating sample magnetometer and the magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements show a strong perpendicular exchange coupling between the ferrimagnetic TbFeCo layer and the hard ferromagnetic FePt layer. The magnetization direction of each layer and the process of magnetization reversal are discussed in detail. The switching field dependence on the exchange coupling has been modelled by micromagnetic simulation and the interlayer coupling constant is about -0.9 erg/cm^2 according to this simulation.     

Second Harmonic Generation from Co Magnetic Thin Films

The magnetization-induced second harmonic generation (MSHG) in the sputtered and epitaxial-grown Co thin films was studied. The magnetic contrast of the MSHG intensity could be clearly distinguished for the cobalt films prepared by both the methods, but the signal measured in air for sputtered films was not smoother than that for the in-situ measurement of epitaxial films. Compared with the magneto-optical Kerr effect, the MSHG shows some new behaviour indicating that more information could be obtained if these two methods are combined. The MSHG reveals a giant nonlinear Kerr rotation in orders of magnitude larger than its linear one.