Spin Dynamics in Patterned Magnetic Multilayers with Perpendicular Magnetic Anisotropy

The magnetization dynamics in nanostructures has been extensively studied in the last decades, and nanomagnetism has evolved significantly over that time, discovering new effects, developing numerous applications, and identifying promising new directions. This includes magnonics, an emerging research field oriented on the study of spin-wave dynamics and their applications. In this context, thin ferromagnetic films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) offer interesting opportunities to study spin waves, in particular, due to out-of-plane magnetization in remanence or at relatively weak external magnetic fields. This is the only magnetization configuration offering isotropic in-plane spin-wave propagation within the sample plane, the forward volume magnetostatic spin-wave geometry. The isotropic dispersion relation is highly important in designing signal-processing devices, offering superior prospects for direct replicating various concepts from photonics into magnonics. Analogous to photonic or phononic crystals, which are the building blocks of optoelectronics and phononics, magnonic crystals are considered as key components in magnonics applications. Arrays of nanodots and structured ferromagnetic thin films with a periodic array of holes, popularly known as antidot lattices based on PMA multilayers have been recently studied. Novel magnonic properties related to propagating spin-wave modes, exploitation of the band gaps, and confined modes, were demonstrated. Also, the existence of nontrivial magnonic band topologies has been shown. Moreover, the combination of PMA and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction leads to the formation of chiral magnetization states, including N\'eel domain walls, skyrmions, and skyrmionium states

Anisotropy Dependence of Irreversible Switching in Fe/SmCo and FeNi/FePt Exchange Spring Magnet Films

Magnetization reversal in exchange-spring magnet films has been investigated by a First Order Reversal Curve (FORC) technique and vector magnetometry. In Fe/epitaxial-SmCo films, the reversal proceeds by a reversible rotation of the Fe soft layer, followed by an irreversible switching of the SmCo hard layer. The switching fields are clearly manifested by separate steps in both longitudinal and transverse hysteresis loops, as well as sharp boundaries in the FORC distribution. In FeNi/polycrystalline-FePt films, particularly with thin FeNi, the switching fields are masked by the smooth and step-free major loop. However, the FORC diagram still displays a distinct onset of irreversible switching and transverse hysteresis loops exhibit a pair of peaks, whose amplitude is larger than the maximum possible contribution from the FeNi layer alone. This suggests that the FeNi and FePt layers reverse in a continuous process via a vertical spiral. The successive vs. continuous rotation of the soft/hard layer system is primarily due to the different crystal structure of the hard layer, which results in different anisotropies.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figures, APL in pres

Role of B on grain sizes and magnetic correlation lengths in recording media as determined by soft X-ray scattering

We have measured the chemical grain sizes and magnetic correlation lengths in CoCrbased magnetic recording media films using resonant soft x -ray small-angle scattering. We find that the addition of B, while leading to slightly smaller physical grains, dramatically reduces the magnetic correlation length. These results show that B additions effectively act to suppress intergranular magnetic exchange via segregation to the grain boundaries

Field driven ferromagnetic phase nucleation and propagation from the domain boundaries in antiferromagnetically coupled perpendicular anisotropy films

We investigate the reversal process in antiferromagnetically coupled [Co/Pt]{sub X-1}/{l_brace}Co/Ru/[Co/Pt]{sub X-1}{r_brace}{sub 16} multilayer films by combining magnetometry and Magnetic soft X-ray Transmission Microscopy (MXTM). After out-of-plane demagnetization, a stable one dimensional ferromagnetic (FM) stripe domain phase (tiger-tail phase) for a thick stack sample (X=7 is obtained), while metastable sharp antiferromagnetic (AF) domain walls are observed in the remanent state for a thinner stack sample (X=6). When applying an external magnetic field the sharp domain walls of the thinner stack sample transform at a certain threshold field into the FM stripe domain wall phase. We present magnetic energy calculations that reveal the underlying energetics driving the overall reversal mechanisms

Field driven ferromagnetic phase evolution originating from the domain boundaries in antiferromagnetically coupled perpendicular anitsotropy films

Strong perpendicular anisotropy systems consisting of Co/Pt multilayer stacks that are antiferromagnetically coupled via thin Ru or NiO layers have been used as model systems to study the competition between local interlayer exchange and long-range dipolar interactions [1,2]. Magnetic Force Microscopy (MFM) studies of such systems reveal complex magnetic configurations with a mix of antiferromagnetic (AF) and ferromagnetic (FM) phases. However, MFM allows detecting surface stray fields only and can interact strongly with the magnetic structure of the sample, thus altering the original domain configuration of interest [3,4]. In the current study they combine magnetometry and state-of-the-art soft X-ray transmission microscopy (MXTM) to investigate the external field driven FM phase evolution originating from the domain boundaries in such antiferromagnetically coupled perpendicular anisotropy films. MXTM allows directly imaging the perpendicular component of the magnetization in an external field at sub 100 nm spatial resolution without disturbing the magnetic state of the sample [5,6]. Here they compare the domain evolution for two similar [Co(4{angstrom})/Pt(7{angstrom})]x-1/{l_brace}Co(4{angstrom})/Ru(9{angstrom})/[Co(4{angstrom})/Pt(7{angstrom})]x-1{r_brace}16 samples with slightly different Co/Pt stack thickness, i.e. slightly different strength of internal dipolar fields. After demagnetization they obtain AF domains with either sharp AF domain walls for the thinner multilayer stacks or 'tiger-tail' domain walls (one dimensional FM phase) for the thicker stacks. When increasing the external field strength the sharp domain walls in the tinner stack sample transform into the one-dimensional FM phase, which then serves as nucleation site for further FM stripe domains that spread out into all directions to drive the system towards saturation. Energy calculations reveal the subtle difference between the two samples and help to understand the observed transition, when applying an external field