Mustafa Erkovan

Ferromagnetic resonance studies of exchange coupled ultrathin Py/Cr/Py trilayers

Magnetic properties of ultrathin Py/Cr/Py trilayers have been investigated as a function of Cr spacer layer thickness by using ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) techniques. The Cr spacer layer thickness was increased from 4 to 40 A with 1 A steps to determine the dependence of interlayer exchange coupling between ferromagnetic layers on the spacer layer thickness. Two strong and well resolved peaks were observed which correspond to a strong (acoustic) and weak (optic) modes of magnetization precession in the effective dc field due to the exciting external microwave field as the external dc field orientation comes close to the film normal. The separation of the two modes in the field axis depends on the thickness of Cr spacer layer. An interchange in the relative positions of the acoustic and optic modes has been observed for a particular thickness of Cr spacer layer as well. A computer program for magnetically exchange coupled N magnetic layers was written to simulate t...

Exchange bias properties of [Co/CoO]n multilayers

In this study, the exchange bias properties of four polycrystalline multilayer stack samples of antiferromagnetic (AF) CoO and ferromagnetic (FM) Co in the form of [CoO/Co]n with n = 1, 2, 3, and 5 are reported. The samples were grown on top of Si (001) substrates by using magnetron sputtering method. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to determine the structural properties of the samples. XPS measurements of cobalt oxide layer revealed the coexistence of different phases in cobalt oxide as CoO and Co3O4, the latter of which lowers the blocking temperature. The blocking temperature is also affected by the finite size scaling effects observed in AF layers. In-plane ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) measurements revealed uniaxial in-plane magnetic anisotropy for the samples. Low temperature vibrating sample magnetometer measurements provided exchange bias with a stepwise character. Observed steps are believed to be due to magnetization reversals of indivi...

Ferromagnetic resonance investigation of Py/Cr multilayer system

The multilayer thin films consisting of alternating stacks of ferromagnetic Permalloy (Py) and ultra thin non-magnetic (sub-nanometer) spacer (Cr) layers have been investigated by using ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) and dc magnetization measurement techniques. The non-magnetic spacer layer thickness changes from 0.5 A to 2.5 A by 0.5 A steps. Polycrystalline composite metallic films were grown on Si substrate by usual magnetron sputtering techniques at UHV conditions. The magnetic hysteresis curves were recorded by conventional dc magnetization. The ac and dc magnetic properties were investigated by using ferromagnetic resonance. FMR measurements were carried out for different directions of external dc magnetic field in order to search magnetic anisotropy. Two strong and well defined peaks (acoustic and optic mode) were observed in FMR spectrum as the magnetic field direction approaches to the film normal. Their positions and relative intensities helped to characterize coupling species. The magnetic parameters have been deduced by using a theoretical model. It has been found that the exchange coupling parameter between ferromagnetic layers through non-magnetic Cr spacer is ferromagnetic in nature and strongly decreases with increasing spacer layer thickness. The magnetic anisotropy parameters strictly depend on magnetic layer thickness while the dc magnetization is almost constant for a few nanometer thick Permalloy as well. We observed only ferromagnetic coupling between ferromagnetic layers in all samples.The multilayer thin films consisting of alternating stacks of ferromagnetic Permalloy (Py) and ultra thin non-magnetic (sub-nanometer) spacer (Cr) layers have been investigated by using ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) and dc magnetization measurement techniques. The non-magnetic spacer layer thickness changes from 0.5 A to 2.5 A by 0.5 A steps. Polycrystalline composite metallic films were grown on Si substrate by usual magnetron sputtering techniques at UHV conditions. The magnetic hysteresis curves were recorded by conventional dc magnetization. The ac and dc magnetic properties were investigated by using ferromagnetic resonance. FMR measurements were carried out for different directions of external dc magnetic field in order to search magnetic anisotropy. Two strong and well defined peaks (acoustic and optic mode) were observed in FMR spectrum as the magnetic field direction approaches to the film normal. Their positions and relative intensities helped to characterize coupling species. The magnetic param...

Interface induced manipulation of perpendicular exchange bias in Pt/Co/(Pt,Cr)/CoO thin films

Perpendicular exchange bias has been manipulated by changing ferromagnetic film thickness and spacer layer in Pt/Co/(Pt,Cr)/CoO thin films. The exchange bias characteristics, blocking temperature, and magnetization of thin films strongly depend on the spacer layer (Pt,Cr) between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic layers. While Pt/Co/Pt/CoO thin films show perpendicular exchange bias, Pt/Co/Cr/CoO has exchange bias with easy magnetization axis in the film plane. We have also observed very small hysteretic behavior from the hard axis magnetization curve of Pt/Co/Cr/CoO film. This can be attributed to misalignment of the sample or small perpendicular contribution from Pt/Co bottom interface. We have also investigated the temperature and spacer layer dependent exchange bias properties of the samples. We observed higher HEB and HC for the thicker Co layer in the Pt/Co/Pt/CoO sample. In addition, onset of exchange bias effect starts at much lower temperatures for Pt/Co/Cr/CoO thin film. This clearly shows that Cr spacer layer not only removes the perpendicular exchange bias, but also reduces the exchange interaction between Co and CoO and thus lowers the TB.

Probing antiferromagnetism in NiMn/Ni/(Co)/Cu3Au(001) single-crystalline epitaxial thin films

Antiferromagnetism of equi-atomic single-crystalline NiMn thin film alloys grown on Ni/Cu3Au(001) is probed by means of magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE). Thickness-dependent coercivity (HC) enhancement of polar MOKE measurements in NiMn/Ni/Cu3Au(001) shows that ∼7 atomic monolayers (MLs) NiMn order antiferromagnetically at room temperature. It is found that NiMn can couple to out-of-plane (OoP) as well as in-plane (IP) magnetized Ni films, the latter stabilized by Co under-layer deposition. The antiferromagnetic (AFM) ordering temperature (TAFM) of NiMn coupled to OoP Ni is found to be much higher (up to 110 K difference) than in the IP case, for similar interfacial conditions. This is attributed to a magnetic proximity effect in which the ferromagnetic (FM) layer substantially influences TAFM of the adjacent AFM layer, and can be explained by either (i) a higher interfacial coupling strength and/or (ii) a thermally more stable NiMn spin structure when coupled to Ni magnetized in OoP direction than in I...

Coexistence of perpendicular and in-plane exchange bias using a single ferromagnetic layer in Pt/Co/Cr/CoO thin film

We studied the temperature dependence of magnetization and exchange bias in a Pt/Co/Cr/CoO multilayer thin film. These magnetic multilayers are of particular interest since the easy axis of ultra-thin Co is strongly affected by the interfacial anisotropies of neighbouring Pt and Cr layers. The room temperature measurements show that the sample has a magnetic easy axis only in the film plane. However, upon cooling the sample, the easy axis of the magnetization departs from its initial orientation and typical easy-axis hysteresis loops are obtained for both in-plane and perpendicular directions. In accordance with this change in the magnetization direction at lower temperatures, the sample shows an unexpected coexistence of perpendicular and in-plane exchange bias below the antiferromagnetic transition of CoO. The temperature dependence of the exchange bias field for both directions is also significantly different. Along the film plane, the exchange bias field monotonically decreases and disappears at 220 K with increasing temperature. For the perpendicular direction, however, the exchange bias field increases and reaches a maximum value at 80 K. Then it decreases and disappears at 150 K with further increasing temperature. The mechanisms behind this anomalous temperature dependence of the exchange bias as well as the step-like behaviour in the hysteresis curves are discussed.

Magnetic Characterization of Exchange Coupled Ultrathin Magnetic Multilayers by Ferromagnetic Resonance Technique

The magnetic–nonmagnetic multilayers have been widely used in various applications. As well known the important physical parameters depend on relevant applications. For giant magneto resistance (GMR), magnetic data storage, MRAM and spintronics applications, the most important magnetic parameters in multilayered structures are interlayer exchange coupling, magnetic anisotropy, saturation magnetization and spin relaxation time. All of these parameters strictly depend on the physical size of the elements which are continuously shrinking even down to nanometer scale for ultra high density data processes. However, as the dimensions (thickness) of the films continues to decrease the magnetic signal intensity gets so weak that its detection becomes one of the major issues. But still ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) can be powerful enough to study these multilayered structures.

Temperature-induced sign change of the magnetic interlayer coupling in Ni/Ni25Mn75/Ni trilayers on Cu3Au(001)

We investigated the magnetic interlayer coupling between two ferromagnetic (FM) Ni layers through an antiferromagnetic (AFM) Ni25Mn75 layer and the influence of this coupling on the exchange bias phenomenon. The interlayer coupling energy of an epitaxial trilayer of 14 atomic monolayers (ML) Ni/45 ML Ni25Mn75/16 ML Ni on Cu3Au(001) was extracted from minor-loop magnetization measurements using in-situ magneto-optical Kerr effect. The interlayer coupling changes from ferromagnetic to antiferromagnetic when the temperature is increased above 300 K. This sign change is interpreted as the result of the competition between an antiparallel Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY)-type interlayer coupling, which dominates at high temperature, and a stronger direct exchange coupling across the AFM layer, which is present only below the Neel temperature of the AFM layer.