On the Explanation of the Paramagnetic Meissner Effect in Superconductor/Ferromagnet Heterostructures

An increase of the magnetic moment in superconductor/ferromagnet (S/F) bilayers V(40nm)/F [F$=$Fe(1,3nm), Co(3nm), Ni(3nm)] was observed using SQUID magnetometry upon cooling below the superconducting transition temperature Tc in magnetic fields of 10 Oe to 50 Oe applied parallel to the sample surface. A similar increase, often called the paramagnetic Meissner effect (PME), was observed before in various superconductors and superconductor/ferromagnet systems. To explain the PME effect in the presented S/F bilayers a model based on a row of vortices located at the S/F interface is proposed. According to the model the magnetic moment induced below Tc consists of the paramagnetic contribution of the vortex cores and the diamagnetic contribution of the vortex-free region of the S layer. Since the thickness of the S layer is found to be 3-4 times less than the magnetic field penetration depth, this latter diamagnetic contribution is negligible. The model correctly accounts for the sign, the approximate magnitude and the field dependence of the paramagnetic and the Meissner contributions of the induced magnetic moment upon passing the superconducting transition of a ferromagnet/superconductor bilayer

Depth profile of the ferromagnetic order in a YBa2_2Cu3_3O7_7 / La2/3_{2/3}Ca1/3_{1/3}MnO3_3 superlattice on a LSAT substrate: a polarized neutron reflectometry study

Using polarized neutron reflectometry (PNR) we have investigated a YBa2Cu3O7(10nm)/La2/3Ca1/3MnO3(9nm)]10 (YBCO/LCMO) superlattice grown by pulsed laser deposition on a La0.3Sr0.7Al0.65Ta0.35O3 (LSAT) substrate. Due to the high structural quality of the superlattice and the substrate, the specular reflectivity signal extends with a high signal-to-background ratio beyond the fourth order superlattice Bragg peak. This allows us to obtain more detailed and reliable information about the magnetic depth profile than in previous PNR studies on similar superlattices that were partially impeded by problems related to the low temperature structural transitions of the SrTiO3 substrates. In agreement with the previous reports, our PNR data reveal a strong magnetic proximity effect showing that the depth profile of the magnetic potential differs significantly from the one of the nuclear potential that is given by the YBCO and LCMO layer thickness. We present fits of the PNR data using different simple block-like models for which either a ferromagnetic moment is induced on the YBCO side of the interfaces or the ferromagnetic order is suppressed on the LCMO side. We show that a good agreement with the PNR data and with the average magnetization as obtained from dc magnetization data can only be obtained with the latter model where a so-called depleted layer with a strongly suppressed ferromagnetic moment develops on the LCMO side of the interfaces. The models with an induced ferromagnetic moment on the YBCO side fail to reproduce the details of the higher order superlattice Bragg peaks and yield a wrong magnitude of the average magnetization. We also show that the PNR data are still consistent with the small, ferromagnetic Cu moment of 0.25muB that was previously identified with x-ray magnetic circular dichroism and x-ray resonant magnetic reflectometry measurements on the same superlattice.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figure

Domain-wall structure in thin films with perpendicular anisotropy: Magnetic force microscopy and polarized neutron reflectometry study

Ferromagnetic domain patterns and three-dimensional domain-wall configurations in thin CoCrPt films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy were studied in detail by combining magnetic force microscopy and polarized neutron reflectometry with micromagnetic simulations. With the first method, lateral dimension of domains with alternative magnetization directions normal to the surface and separated by domain walls in 20-nm-thick CoCrPt films were determined in good agreement with micromagnetic simulations. Quantitative analysis of data on reflectometry shows that domain walls consist of a Bloch wall in the center of the thin film, which is gradually transformed into a pair of Néel caps at the surfaces. The width and in-depth thickness of the Bloch wall element, transition region, and Néel caps are found consistent with micromagnetic calculations. A complex structure of domain walls serves to compromise a competition between exchange interactions, keeping spins parallel, magnetic anisotropy orienting magnetization normal to the surface, and demagnetizing fields, promoting in-plane magnetization. It is shown that the result of such competition strongly depends on the film thickness, and in the thinner CoCrPt film (10 nm thick), simple Bloch walls separate domains. Their lateral dimensions estimated from neutron scattering experiments agree with micromagnetic simulations.Microelectronics Advanced Research Corporation (MARCO)United States. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agenc

Magnetization reversal and exchange bias effects in hard/soft ferromagnetic bilayers with orthogonal anisotropies

The magnetization reversal processes are discussed for exchange-coupled ferromagnetic hard/soft bilayers made from Co[subscript 0.66]Cr[subscript 0.22]Pt[subscript 0.12] (10 and 20 nm)/Ni (from 0 to 40 nm) films with out-of-plane and in-plane magnetic easy axes respectively, based on room temperature hysteresis loops and first-order reversal curve analysis. On increasing the Ni layer thicknesses, the easy axis of the bilayer reorients from out-of-plane to in-plane. An exchange bias effect, consisting of a shift of the in-plane minor hysteresis loops along the field axis, was observed at room temperature after in-plane saturation. This effect was associated with specific ferromagnetic domain configurations experimentally determined by polarized neutron reflectivity. On the other hand, perpendicular exchange bias effect was revealed from the out-of-plane hysteresis loops and it was attributed to residual domains in the magnetically hard layer.National Science Foundation (U.S.)MIT-Spain/La Cambra de Barcelona Seed Fun

Role of gallium diffusion in the formation of a magnetically dead layer at the Y3Fe5O12/Gd3Ga5O12 epitaxial interface

We have clarified the origin of a magnetically dead interface layer formed in yttrium iron garnet (YIG) films grown at above 700 degrees C onto a gadolinium gallium garnet (GGG) substrate by means of laser molecular beam epitaxy. The diffusion-assisted formation of a Ga-rich region at the YIG/GGG interface is demonstrated by means of composition depth profiling performed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectroscopy, and x-ray and neutron reflectometry. Our finding is in sharp contrast to the earlier expressed assumption that Gd acts as a migrant element in the YIG/GGG system. We further correlate the presence of a Ga-rich transition layer with considerable quenching of ferromagnetic resonance and spin wave propagation in thin YIG films. Finally, we clarify the origin of the enigmatic low-density overlayer that is often observed in neutron and x-ray reflectometry studies of the YIG/GGG epitaxial system

Magnetization reversal and exchange bias effects in hard/soft ferromagnetic bilayers with orthogonal anisotropies

21 p.The magnetization reversal processes are discussed for exchange-coupled ferromagnetic hard/soft bilayers made from Co0.66Cr0.22Pt0.12 (10 and 20 nm)/Ni (from 0 to 40 nm) films with out-of-plane and in-plane magnetic easy axes respectively, based on room temperature hysteresis loops and first-order reversal curve analysis. On increasing the Ni layer thicknesses, the easy axis of the bilayer reorients from out-of-plane to in-plane. An exchange bias effect, consisting of a shift of the in-plane minor hysteresis loops along the field axis, was observed at room temperature after in-plane saturation. This effect was associated with specific ferromagnetic domain configurations experimentally determined by polarized neutron reflectivity. On the other hand, perpendicular exchange bias effect was revealed from the out-of-plane hysteresis loops and it was attributed to residual domains in the magnetically hard layer.CAR and DN gratefully acknowledge the support of the National Science Foundation and the MIT-Spain/La Cambra de Barcelona Seed Fund. CR and DN thank the Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad for financial support (MAT2010-20798-C05-02)

Magnetic Proximity Effect in YBa₂Cu₃O₇/La_2/3Ca_1/3MnO₃ and YBa₂Cu₃O₇/LaMnO₃₊ Superlattices

Using neutron reflectometry and resonant x-ray techniques we studied the magnetic proximity effect (MPE) in superlattices composed of superconducting YBa₂Cu₃O₇ and ferromagnetic-metallic La0.67Ca0.33MnO₃ or ferromagnetic-insulating LaMnO₃₊. We find that the MPE strongly depends on the electronic state of the manganite layers, being pronounced for the ferromagnetic-metallic La0.67Ca0.33MnO₃ and almost absent for ferromagnetic-insulating LaMnO₃₊. We also detail the change of the magnetic depth profile due to the MPE and provide evidence for its intrinsic nature

Observation by SANS and PNR of pure N el type domain wall profiles and skyrmion suppression below room temperature in magnetic [Pt CoFeB Ru]10 multilayers

We report investigations of the magnetic textures in periodic multilayers [Pt 1 amp; 8201;nm CoFeB 0.8 amp; 8201;nm Ru 1.4 amp; 8201;nm ]10 using polarised neutron reflectometry PNR and small angle neutron scattering SANS . The multilayers are known to host skyrmions stabilized by Dzyaloshinskii Moriya interactions induced by broken inversion symmetry and spin orbit coupling at the asymmetric interfaces. From depth dependent PNR measurements, we observed well defined structural features and obtained the layer resolved magnetization profiles. The in plane magnetization of the CoFeB layers calculated from fitting of the PNR profiles is found to be in excellent agreement with magnetometry data. Using SANS as a bulk probe of the entire multilayer, we observe long period magnetic stripe domains and skyrmion ensembles with full orientational disorder at room temperature. No sign of skyrmions is found below 250 K, which we suggest is due to an increase of an effective magnetic anisotropy in the CoFeB layer on cooling that suppresses skyrmion stability. Using polarised SANS at room temperature, we prove the existence of pure N el type windings in both stripe domain and skyrmion regimes. No Bloch type winding admixture, i.e. an indication for hybrid windings, is detected within the measurement sensitivity, in good agreement with expectations according to our micromagnetic modelling of the multilayers. Our findings using neutron techniques provide valuable microscopic insights into the rich magnetic behavior of skyrmion hosting multilayers, which are essential for the advancement of future skyrmion based spintronic device

Laterally patterned spin-valve superlattice: Magnetometry and polarized neutron scattering study

The magnetization reversal of magnetic multilayers with spin-valve like characteristics, patterned into an array of parallel stripes, was structurally and magnetically analyzed, in detail, via x-ray scattering, magnetometry, and polarized neutron reflectivity. Each stripe contains a multiple repetition of the layer sequence [Fe/Cr/Co/Cr]. X-ray and neutron scattering maps of the patterned multilayer show rich details resulting from the superposition of Bragg peaks representing the lateral in-plane periodicity and the out-of-plane multilayer period. Detailed analysis of specular and off-specular polarized neutron intensity was used to ascertain the antiparallel alignment of the Co and Fe magnetization within the kink region of their combined hysteresis loop between the coercive fields of Fe and Co layers. This includes also an examination of domain formation and inter- as well as intra-stripe correlation effects upon magnetization reversal. Our combined study shows that the shape induced anisotropy via patterning is capable of overriding the four-fold crystal anisotropy but is unable to eliminate the ripple domain state of the Co layers, already present in the continuous multilayer.We gratefully acknowledge financial support by the DFG through SFB 491, by the BMBF (05K10PC1), and by the Institute Laue-Langevin