G. Reiss

Excitation of microwaveguide modes by a stripe antenna

We have studied experimentally the excitation of propagating spin-wave modes of a microscopic Permalloy-film waveguide by a stripe antenna. We show that due to the strong quantization of the spin-wave spectrum, the excitation of particular modes has essentially different frequency dependencies leading to a nonmonotonous variation of the modulation depth of the resulting spin-wave beam as a function of the excitation frequency. In addition, we address the effect of nonreciprocity of spin-wave excitation and found that for the case of Permalloy microwaveguides this effect is much weaker pronounced than for waveguides made from dielectric magnetic films with low saturation magnetization.

Nano-optics with spin waves at microwave frequencies

With the recent development in nanoscale patterning techniques, the potential of practical applications of nanometer-size structures for signal processing has been growing continuously. Experimental findings on the manipulation of optical signals in nanostructures have recently given rise to a widely addressed scientific area—subwavelength nano-optics. Here, we demonstrate that spin waves in microscopic ferromagnetic film structures represent a superb object for realization of the principles of nano-optics in the microwave frequency range. We show experimentally that by using the unique properties of spin waves, one can easily channelize, split, and manipulate submicrometer-width spin-wave beams propagating in microscopic magnetic-film waveguides.

Self-focusing of spin waves in Permalloy microstripes

Excitation and propagation of spin waves in Permalloy microstripes magnetized in their plane perpendicularly to the axis have been investigated by means of microfocus Brillouin light scattering spectroscopy with high spatial resolution. We show that the spatial profile of the spin-wave beam demonstrates a focusing at a certain distance from the excitation source depending on the stripe width. A model connecting the observed phenomenon with an interference of different spin-wave modes existing in the stripe due to the finite-size effect is proposed.

Physical characteristics and cation distribution of NiFe2O4 thin films with high resistivity prepared by reactive co-sputtering

We fabricated NiFe2O4 thin films on MgAl2O4 (001) substrates by reactive dc magnetron co-sputtering in a pure oxygen atmosphere at different substrate temperatures. The film properties were investigated by various techniques with a focus on their structure, surface topography, magnetic characteristics, and transport properties. Structural analysis revealed a good crystallization with epitaxial growth and low roughness and a similar quality as in films grown by pulsed laser deposition. Electrical conductivity measurements showed high room temperature resistivity (12 Ω m), but low activation energy, indicating an extrinsic transport mechanism. A band gap of about 1.55 eV was found by optical spectroscopy. Detailed x-ray spectroscopy studies confirmed the samples to be ferrimagnetic with fully compensated Fe moments. By comparison with multiplet calculations of the spectra, we found that the cation valencies are to a large extent Ni2+ and Fe3+.

Influence of buffer layer texture on magnetic and electrical properties of IrMn spin valve magnetic tunnel junctions

Spin valve magnetic tunnel junctions (SV-MTJs) with the structure Si(100)∕SiOx∕buffer(A,B)∕IrMn∕CoFe∕AlOx∕NiFe∕Ta have been deposited on two buffers: Cu (group A) and Ta∕Cu (group B). The A junctions were characterized by a low degree of texture and a small amplitude of roughness, and B junctions by a high degree of texture and a high amplitude of roughness. The strongly textured buffer Ta∕Cu (group B) grew in a columnarlike fashion and induced interfacial roughness. The texture and the roughness modified strongly the interlayer and the exchange bias coupling fields in the SV-MTJs. A substantial influence of the roughness, due to barrier thickness fluctuation, on the resistance area product (R×A) of junctions was also observed. The influence on the temperature dependence of conductance and tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) was, however, small and only observable at low temperature for the two groups of junctions. A significantly larger increase of the conductance and decrease of the TMR with increasing bias ...

Influence of boundary roughness on the magnetization reversal in submicron sized magnetic tunnel junctions

The reproducible magnetic switching of submicron magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJ’s) is an important requirement for their application in highly integrated magnetic memory devices. We have investigated the switching of small MTJ’s by atomic and magnetic force microscopy (AFM/MFM) combined with micromagnetic numerical simulations. The latter are carried out with the real (AFM) shape as input mask, including the boundary roughness of the MTJ’s. MFM reveals S-, C-, and K- shaped magnetization patterns for rectangular submicron sized junctions in saturation. In general, the magnetization loops and switching fields are different for individual junctions. The simulations show that the detailed boundary shape, which is specific for each junction, has a significant influence on the nucleation and location of domain walls and vortices, and hence, on the magnetic switching.

Manipulation of magnetic nanoparticles by the strayfield of magnetically patterned ferromagnetic layers

The manipulation of magnetic particles at the nanometer scale is of great interest for applications in biotechnology. In this work the self-assembly of 12 nm Co nanocrystallites under the influence of magnetic strayfields originating from a magnetically patterned 3 nm thick CoFe layer has been investigated. The magnetic patterning has been carried out by bombardment with 10 keV He ions in an external magnetic field. A controllable accumulation of magnetic nanoparticles has been found at areas of the sample with a head to head orientation of the local magnetization. The force generated by the strayfield of Neel walls without head to head orientation of the magnetization is about ten times weaker and turned out to be just strong enough to attract a relatively small number of nanocrystals. Furthermore, it has been shown that the choice of the procedure to bring the particle solution onto the magnetically patterned sample determines the successful generation of particle arrangements and can be used to tune th...

Postannealing of magnetic tunnel junctions with ion-bombardment-modified exchange bias

The influence of a postannealing procedure on the transport properties of magnetic tunnel junctions with ion-bombardment-manipulated exchange bias is investigated. The controlled manipulation of the direction of the exchange bias field in magnetic tunnel junctions by He ion bombardment usually is accompanied by a reduction of the tunneling magnetoresistance and an increase in the resistance. Here, we demonstrate that it is possible to reduce these negative effects of the ion bombardment considerably by postannealing without a magnetic field. For optimized combinations of ion dose and postannealing temperature, the tunneling magnetoresistance recovers completely (>50% resistance change) while the exchange bias direction set by the ion bombardement is preserved.

Electric breakdown in ultrathin MgO tunnel barrier junctions for spin-transfer torque switching

Magnetic tunnel junctions for spin-transfer torque (STT) switching are prepared to investigate the dielectric breakdown. Intact and broken tunnel junctions are characterized by transport measurements prior to transmission electron microscopy analysis. The comparison to our previous model for thicker MgO tunnel barriers reveals a different breakdown mechanism arising from the high current densities in a STT device: instead of local pinhole formation at a constant rate, massive electromigration and heating leads to displacement of the junction material and voids are appearing. This is determined by element resolved energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and three dimensional tomographic reconstruction.

Hyper-domains in exchange bias micro-stripe pattern

A combination of experimental techniques, e.g. vector-MOKE magnetometry, Kerr microscopy and polarized neutron reflectometry, was applied to study the field induced evolution of the magnetization distribution over a periodic pattern of alternating exchange bias (EB) stripes. The lateral structure is imprinted into a continuous ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic EB bilayer via laterally selective exposure to He-ion irradiation in an applied field. This creates an alternating frozen-in interfacial EB field competing with the external field in the course of the re-magnetization. It was found that in a magnetic field applied at an angle with respect to the EB axis parallel to the stripes the re-magnetization process proceeds via a variety of different stages. They include coherent rotation of magnetization towards the EB axis, precipitation of small random (ripple) domains, formation of a stripe-like alternation of the magnetization, and development of a state in which the magnetization forms large hyper-domains comprising a number of stripes. Each of those magnetic states is quantitatively characterized via the comprehensive analysis of data on specular and off-specular polarized neutron reflectivity. The results are discussed within a phenomenological model containing a few parameters, which can readily be controlled by designing systems with a desired configuration of magnetic moments of micro- and nano-elements.