Internal energy and specific heat in a ferromagnetic- antiferromagnetic double layers

The internal energy and specific heat of a Heisenberg ferro- antiferromagnetic double-layer system are studied by using spin-wave theory and the retarded Green function method at low temperatures. Numerical results show that the antiferromagnetic intralayer coupling $J_2 $ has an important influence on internal energy and specific heat for a four-sublattice system with antiferromagnetic (or ferrimagnetic) interlayer couplings.     

Spin excitations and thermodynamics of the antiferromagnetic Heisenberg model on the layered honeycomb lattice

We present a spin-rotation-invariant Green-function theory for the dynamic spin susceptibility in the spin-1/2 antiferromagnetic Heisenberg model on a stacked honeycomb lattice. Employing a generalized mean-field approximation for arbitrary temperatures, the thermodynamic quantities (two-spin correlation functions, internal energy, magnetic susceptibility, staggered magnetization, Néel temperature, correlation length) and the spin-excitation spectrum are calculated by solving a coupled system of self-consistency equations for the correlation functions. The temperature dependence of the magnetic (uniform static) susceptibility is ascribed to antiferromagnetic short-range order. The Néel temperature is calculated for arbitrary interlayer couplings. Our results are in a good agreement with numerical computations for finite clusters and with available experimental data on the β-Cu₂V₂O₂ compound.     

Magnetization curves of a spin- bilayer system (A2) (ApB1−p)1 (B)2 with disordered interfaces

A calculation is presented for the component magnetizations of an infinite multilayer Ising system, consisting periodically of two layers of spin- A ions, two layers of spin- B ions, and a disordered layer interface in between that is characterized by a random arrangement of A and B ions like a two-dimensional A_pB_1−p alloy. The system is a simple cubic Ising-type structure with a coordination number z = 6. The model is general for ferro- and for antiferromagnetic A-B exchange couplings. The A-A and B-B exchange couplings are regarded as ferromagnetic. An effective field theory that goes beyond mean field, is employed to calculate the bulk-like transition temperature, the different component magnetizations as well as the total bulk-like magnetization. The component magnetizations are calculated for different realistic model values of ferro- and antiferromagnetic A-B exchange constants, as a function of temperature and of the concentration parameter p that characterizes the disorder in the interface. We show that the presence of a disordered interface may significantly affect the component and total magnetizations. In particular, for the case of antiferromagnetic exchange couplings, it is shown that the system can acquire a compensation temperature for certain domains of values of the concentration parameter p in the disordered interface.     

Quantum competitions between the effects of the interlayer exchange couplings and the magnetically structural symmetry in a four-layer ferrimagnetic superlattice

The magnon energy spectra, the sublayer magnetization and the quantum fluctuations in a ferrimagnetic superlattice consisting of four different magnetic sublayers are studied by employing the linear spin-wave approach and Green's function technique. The effects of the interlayer exchange couplings and the spin quantum numbers on the sublayer magnetization and the quantum fluctuations of the systems are discussed for three different spin configurations. The roles of quantum competitions among the interlayer exchange couplings and the symmetry of the different spin configurations have been understood. The magnetizations of some sublayers increase monotonously, while those of others can exhibit their maximum, and the quantum fluctuations of the whole superlattice system can show a minimum when one of the antiferromagnetic interlayer exchange couplings increases. This is due to the quantum competition/transmission of effects of the interlayer exchange couplings. When the spin quantum number of sublayers varies, the system goes through from a quantum region of small spin numbers to a classical region of large spin numbers. The quantum fluctuations of the system exhibit a maximum as a function of the spin quantum number of a sublayer, which is related with higher symmetry of the system. It belongs to the type III Shubnikov group of magnetic groups. This magnetically structural symmetry consists of not only the symmetry of space group, but also the symmetry of the direction and strength of spins.     

Exchange couplings in magnetic films

Recent advances in the study of exchange couplings in magnetic films are introduced.To provide a comprehensive understanding of exchange coupling,we have designed different bilayers,trilayers and multilayers,such as anisotropic hard/soft-magnetic multilayer films,ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic/ferromagnetic trilayers,[Pt/Co]/NiFe/NiO heterostructures,Co/NiO and Co/NiO/Fe trilayers on an anodic aluminum oxide(AAO) template.The exchange-coupling interaction between soft-and hard-magnetic phases,interlayer and interfacial exchange couplings and magnetic and magnetotransport properties in these magnetic films have been investigated in detail by adjusting the magnetic anisotropy of ferromagnetic layers and by changing the thickness of the spacer layer,ferromagnetic layer,and antiferromagnetic layer.Some particular physical phenomena have been observed and explained.     

Magnon bands in twisted bilayer honeycomb quantum magnets

We study the magnon bands of twisted bilayer honeycomb quantum magnets using linear spin wave theory. Although the interlayer coupling can be ferromagnetic or antiferromagnetic, we keep the intralayer one ferromagnetic to avoid possible frustration. For the interlayer ferromagnetic case, we find the magnon bands have similar features with the corresponding electronic energy spectrums. Although the linear dispersions near the Dirac points are preserved in the magnon bands of twisted bilayer magnets, their slopes are reduced with the decrease of the twist angles. On the other hand, the interlayer antiferromagnetic couplings generate quite different magnon spectra. The two single-layered magnon spectra are usually decoupled due to the opposite orientations of the spins in the two layers. We also develop a low-energy continuous theory for very small twist angles, which has been verified to fit well with the exact tight-binding calculations. Our results may be experimentally observed due to the rapid progress in two-dimensional magnetic materials.     

Magnetic and electric properties of (Fe,Co)/(Si,Ge) multilayers

We review selected results concerning the interlayer exchange coupling in Fe/Si _x Fe_1−x , Fe/Ge and Co/Si layered structures. Among the ferromagnet/semiconductor systems, Fe/Si structures are the most popular owing to their strong antiferromagnetic interlayer coupling. We show that such interaction depends not only on semiconducting sublayer thickness, but also on deposition techniques and on the chemical composition of the sublayer as well. In similar heterostructures e.g. Fe/Ge, antiferromagnetic coupling was observed only in ion-beam deposited trilayers at low temperatures. In contrast, in Fe/Ge multilayers deposited by sputtering, no such coupling was found. However, when the Ge is partially substituted by Si, antiferromagnetic interlayer coupling appears. For Co/Si multilayers, we observed a very weak exchange coupling and its oscillatory behavior. The growth of Co on Si occurs in an island growth mode. The evolution of magnetic loop shapes can be successfully explained by the interplay between interlayer coupling and anisotropy terms.     

2D Ising Model with Layers of Quenched Spins

The model considered is a d=2 disordered Ising system on a square lattice with nearest neighbor interaction. The disorder is induced by layers (rows) of spins, randomly located, which are frozen in an antiferromagnetic order. It is assumed that all the vertical couplings take the same positive value J _v, while all the horizontal couplings take the same positive value J _h. The model can be exactly solved and the free energy is given as a simple explicit expression. The zero-temperature entropy can be positive because of the frustration due to the competition between antiferromagnetic alignment induced by the quenched layers and ferromagnetic alignment due to the positive couplings. No phase transition is found at finite temperature if the layers of frozen spins are independently distributed, while for correlated disorder one finds a low-temperature phase with some glassy properties.     

Magnetic resonance in multilayer Gd/Si/Co magnetic films

The magnetic properties of multilayer Gd/Si/Co magnetic films are experimentally studied by electron magnetic resonance and analyzed theoretically. The introduction of a semiconductor silicon interlayer is found to substantially affect the magnetic interlayer coupling and the magnetic dynamics of the system. The interlayer coupling is shown to be ferromagnetic for the (Gd/Si)_n films and to be antiferromagnetic for the (Gd/Si/Co/Si)_n films. The temperature dependences of the exchange parameters and the gyromagnetic ratios are determined. Possible mechanisms responsible for the formation of the interlayer coupling are discussed.     

Interlayer spin coherence in antiferromagnetic EuTe/PbTe superlattices observed by polarized neutron diffraction

Neutron diffraction experiments on short-period EuTe/PbTe superlattices with a [111] growth axis reveal distinct magnetic correlations between the EuTe layers across up to 55 Â of non-magnetic PbTe spacers, even though EuTe is antiferromagnetic and there are not enough carriers to support RKKY interactions. With increasing in-plane external magnetic field we observe a decrease of the antiferromagnetic interlayer interactions. This decrease depends very strongly on whether the superlattices are cooled down through the Néel point in zero or non-zero field.     

Pressure-induced weak moment in the two-dimensional antiferromagnet (C2H5NH3)2CuCl4

Abstract

The two-dimensional Heisenberg antiferromagnet (C₂H₅NH₃)₂CuCl₄ has the ferromagnetic intralayer exchange interaction, while the extremely weak interlayer exchange interaction is antiferromagnetic. Neutron scattering experiments under high pressures have been performed on this compound. We confirm that the spin structure changes around 1～2 GPa from the collinear alignment along the a-axis to a spin-canting one. The weak moment due to the canting is parallel to the c-axis. The results indicate that the ferromagnetic intralayer and the antiferromagnetic interlayer exchange interactions are maintained up to 1～2 GPa. Why the weak ferromagnetic moment along the c-axis occurs is due to a lowering of crystal symmetry by pressure.     

An Exactly Solvable Spin-1 Model under External Magnetic Field

A two-fold Cayley tree with fully q-coordinated sites is constructed and thespin-1 Blume-Capel model in the presence of an external magnetic field issolved exactly. The relevant properties such as magnetization m and squaremagnetic moment q are investigated as functions of temperature and externalmagnetic field both for ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic couplings. Inthe study, we propose a possible mechanism of the plateau based on theexchange couplings.     

Ferromagnetic resonance in a system of magnetic films with different Curie temperatures

The peculiarities of absorption of rf electromagnetic radiation (ferromagnetic resonance) in multilayer NiFe/Ni_0.65Cu_0.35(d)/CoFe structures in a wide temperature range are analyzed. It is shown that the type of interaction of the NiFe and CoFe ferromagnetic films via a “weak” ferromagnetic Ni_0.65Cu_0.35 interlayer changes from antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic upon cooling and a decrease in interlayer thickness d. The detected temperature dependence of the interlayer interaction indicates the possibility of observation of a strong magnetocaloric effect in the structures under investigation.     

Magnetic susceptibility of the compound (CH2)10(NH3)2FeCl4

The magnetic susceptibility of the compound (CH₂)₁₀(NH₃)₂FeCl₄ is measured in the temperature range from liquid nitrogen temperature up to room temperature. The effect of thermal and magnetic history on the data obtained is also discussed. It is shown that the compound is antiferromagnetic with a Néel temperature of 93 K but it appears that the antiferromagnetic intra-layer exchange interaction co-exists with a weak ferromagnetic interlayer interaction.     

Low-energy band structure very sensitive to the interlayer distance in Bernal-stacked tetralayer graphene

We have investigated Bernal-stacked tetralayer graphene as a function of interlayer distance and perpendicular electric field by using density functional theory calculations. The low-energy band structure was found to be very sensitive to the interlayer distance, undergoing a metal-insulator transition. It can be attributed to the nearest-layer coupling that is more sensitive to the interlayer distance than are the next-nearest-layer couplings. Under a perpendicular electric field above a critical field, six electric-field-induced Dirac cones with mass gaps predicted in tight-binding models were confirmed, however, our density functional theory calculations demonstrate a phase transition to a quantum valley Hall insulator, contrasting to the tight-binding model prediction of an ordinary insulator.     

Influence of an interface layer on the effective coupling at a ferromagnet/antiferromagnet interface

We examine the exchange anisotropy induced at a ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic interface when an antiferromagnetic interface layer exists. We show that competition between exchange couplings in the interface layer can result in a ferrimagnetic-like compensation point. This leads to a reversal of the effective field acting on the ferromagnet, and a consequent sign change of the exchange bias for temperatures near the Néel temperature of the antiferromagnet. A surprising result is the sensitive dependence of the compensation point on exchange interactions. Even minute modifications of the exchange interactions near the interface can result in a reversal of the effective field, provided certain conditions are met.     

Magnetic phase transitions in layered intermetallic compounds

Magnetic, magnetoelastic, and magnetotransport properties have been studied for the RMn₂Si₂ and RMn₆Sn₆ (R is a rare earth metal) intermetallic compounds with natural layered structure. The compounds exhibit wide variety of magnetic structures and magnetic phase transitions. Substitution of different R atoms allows us to modify the interatomic distances and interlayer exchange interactions thus providing the transition from antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic state. Near the boundary of this transition the magnetic structures are very sensitive to the external field, temperature and pressure. The field-induced transitions are accompanied by considerable change in the sample size and resistivity. It has been shown that various magnetic structures and magnetic phase transitions observed in the layered compounds arise as a result of competition of the Mn–Mn and Mn–R exchange interactions.     

Cr/Ru/PtCo/Ru/PtCo/Ru介质中底层Ru厚度对磁记录特性影响的研究

讨论了Cr/Ru（1）/PtCo（稳定层）/Ru（2）/PtCo（记录层）/Ru（3） 结构的矫顽力Hc_c与层间反铁磁耦合交换场Hex_ex随Ru（1）与Ru（2）厚度变 化的规律.研究发现 ，样品的矫顽力及交换场随Ru（1）厚度增加而增大， 这可能是由Ru（1）hcp结构引起的. 矫顽力及交换场在Ru（2）厚度为08nm处有峰值. 关键词： 磁记录 反铁磁耦合     

An exchange bias observed in Tb/Cr/FeCo trilayers with ultrathin Cr layer at low temperature

Positive exchange bias field (H_e) is observed in Tb/Cr (t_Cr)/FeCo trilayers at 5 K without cooling field, and negative H_e for Tb/FeCo bilayer. The negative H_e of Tb/FeCo implies the FM coupling at the interface due to Co and Fe dominate in the magnetization of the ferrimagnetic interlayer alloy of FeCo and Tb. With the inserting of Cr layer, this situation is broken, and the positive H_e implies the antiferromagnetic interlayer coupling. A peak of H_e = 6.0 mT for trilayers with t_Cr = 1.5 nm is corresponding to the minimum value of coercivity as a function of t_Cr at 5 K, which is used to study the effect of the cooling field (H_fc) on H_e as a function of temperature. It is found that H_fc of 100 mT triggers H_e from positive to negative at T ≤ 15 K. The magnetoresistance results also confirm the coexistence of multiple MR mechanisms in these trilayers.     

Structure and magnetism of Fe/MgO/Fe multilayered nanosystems

The dependences of the structural and magnetic properties of a nanoscale Fe/MgO/Fe planar system on the thickness of the dielectric MgO layer are reported. X-ray crystallographic analysis reveals a high-quality layered structure with abrupt interlayer boundaries and a continuous MgO-insulator layer. Fourth-order magnetocrystalline anisotropy is found in the synthesized structures. A new way to provide antiferromagnetic ordering in the nanostructure is proposed by applying a magnetic field to the investigated structure at an angle of 22° with respect to the easy magnetization axis. In this case, the antiferromagnetic ordering of magnetic moments is established in the field range of 20–50 Oe.