110 research outputs found
Magnetic force microscopy study of magnetization reversal in sputtered FeSiAl(N) films
The magnetization reversal in a series of rf-sputtered FeSiAl(N) films has been studied using magnetic force microscopy. A system has been developed which has the capability to image domain structure while an in-plane magnetic field is applied in situ. All films exhibited a stripe domain structure in zero applied field which was indicative of a perpendicular component of domain magnetization which alternates in sign. All films showed a similar sequence of magnetization processes: on reducing the applied field from saturation a fine stripe domain structure nucleated and then coarsened as the field was decreased to zero. Local switching of domain contrast was observed along the steepest part of the hysteresis loop as the perpendicular component reversed. As the reverse field was increased toward saturation, the stripe domains disintegrated into smaller regions. This observation is consistent with an interpretation that the domain magnetization rotated locally into the sample plane. The saturation field and the film stress exhibited similar trends with nitrogen partial pressure. The results suggest that the perpendicular anisotropy that caused the formation of the stripe domain structure could be induced by the film stress via magnetoelastic coupling
From bi-layer to tri-layer Fe nanoislands on Cu3Au(001)
Self assembly on suitably chosen substrates is a well exploited root to
control the structure and morphology, hence magnetization, of metal films. In
particular, the Cu3Au(001) surface has been recently singled out as a good
template to grow high spin Fe phases, due to the close matching between the
Cu3Au lattice constant (3.75 Angstrom) and the equilibrium lattice constant for
fcc ferromagnetic Fe (3.65 Angstrom). Growth proceeds almost layer by layer at
room temperature, with a small amount of Au segregation in the early stage of
deposition. Islands of 1-2 nm lateral size and double layer height are formed
when 1 monolayer of Fe is deposited on Cu3Au(001) at low temperature. We used
the PhotoElectron Diffraction technique to investigate the atomic structure and
chemical composition of these nanoislands just after the deposition at 140 K
and after annealing at 400 K. We show that only bi-layer islands are formed at
low temperature, without any surface segregation. After annealing, the Fe atoms
are re-aggregated to form mainly tri-layer islands. Surface segregation is
shown to be inhibited also after the annealing process. The implications for
the film magnetic properties and the growth model are discussed.Comment: Revtex, 5 pages with 4 eps figure
Exchange Anisotropy in Epitaxial and Polycrystalline NiO/NiFe Bilayers
(001) oriented NiO/NiFe bilayers were grown on single crystal MgO (001)
substrates by ion beam sputtering in order to determine the effect that the
crystalline orientation of the NiO antiferromagnetic layer has on the
magnetization curve of the NiFe ferromagnetic layer. Simple models predict no
exchange anisotropy for the (001)-oriented surface, which in its bulk
termination is magnetically compensated. Nonetheless exchange anisotropy is
present in the epitaxial films, although it is approximately half as large as
in polycrystalline films that were grown simultaneously. Experiments show that
differences in exchange field and coercivity between polycrystalline and
epitaxial NiFe/NiO bilayers couples arise due to variations in induced surface
anisotropy and not from differences in the degree of compensation of the
terminating NiO plane. Implications of these observations for models of induced
exchange anisotropy in NiO/NiFe bilayer couples will be discussed.Comment: 23 pages in RevTex format, submitted to Phys Rev B
Magnetic Reversal on Vicinal Surfaces
We present a theoretical study of in-plane magnetization reversal for vicinal
ultrathin films using a one-dimensional micromagnetic model with
nearest-neighbor exchange, four-fold anisotropy at all sites, and two-fold
anisotropy at step edges. A detailed "phase diagram" is presented that catalogs
the possible shapes of hysteresis loops and reversal mechanisms as a function
of step anisotropy strength and vicinal terrace length. The steps generically
nucleate magnetization reversal and pin the motion of domain walls. No sharp
transition separates the cases of reversal by coherent rotation and reversal by
depinning of a ninety degree domain wall from the steps. Comparison to
experiment is made when appropriate.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figure
Trailblazer: Proof of Concept CubeSat Mission for SPA-1
The Space Plug-and-play Architecture (SPA) concept of rapid satellite development has progressed exponentially over the past several years. The team at the Configurable Space Microsystems Innovations and Applications Center (COSMIAC) in conjunction with the Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL) and the Air Force Research Laboratory have trained over 500 individuals on this rapid bus architecture related to satellite development. This paper will outline the first CubeSat satellite proof of concept flight for a SPA only spacecraft. The Trailblazer mission is designed to fly a 1U CubeSat that is based entirely on a SPA bus implementation. Trailblazer will consist of Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) parts converted to be SPA compliant. This allows not only a demonstration of the bus reliability in a space environment, but also the ease in converting existing components to be SPA compliant. With the dimensional constraints and power budget of Trailblazer, we have elected to use the SPA-1 standard. SPA-1 is the most recent addition to the AFRL SPA family. The SPA-1 data transfer protocol is based on 400 kbit/s I2C making it the lowest power, and lowest bandwidth option for SPA. Given the power constraints of typical satellite architecture, it is generally advantageous to interface devices/modules which do not require high data transfer rates to a SPA network via the SPA-1 Applique Sensor Interface Module (ASIM). This ASIM is logic that enables SPA Plug-and-Play for hardware components. It contains all the information needed for the system to automatically discover and automatically configure the hardware component. SPA-1 ASIMs can be any microcontroller that supports I2C and has enough memory to contain the needed logic. This allows the standard to remain open to a variety of dynamic implementations. The Trailblazer mission is being launched under the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Educational Launch of Nanosatellite (ELaNA) program. This NASA program is designed to provide affordable access to space through collaborative efforts with academic institutions. The ELaNA program provides manifesting and launch of CubeSats for $30,000 per 1U module. The proposed orbit is 325 km with an inclination of 51 degrees for a launch in 2011
Structure of ultrathin films of Co on Cu(111) from normal-incidence x-ray standing wave and medium-energy ion scattering measurements
Untersuchung von möglichen Interaktionen der Transkriptionsaktivatoren Mzr1 und Biz1 in Ustilago maydis.
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