V. Baltz

Creep and flow regimes of magnetic domain-wall motion in ultrathin Pt/Co/Pt films with perpendicular anisotropy.

We report on magnetic domain-wall velocity measurements in ultrathin Pt/Co(0.5-0.8 nm)/Pt films with perpendicular anisotropy over a large range of applied magnetic fields. The complete velocity-field characteristics are obtained, enabling an examination of the transition between thermally activated creep and viscous flow: motion regimes predicted from general theories for driven elastic interfaces in weakly disordered media. The dissipation limited flow regime is found to be consistent with precessional domain-wall motion, analysis of which yields values for the damping parameter, alpha.

Electrical spin injection and detection at Al2O3/n-type germanium interface using three terminal geometry

In this letter, we report on electrical spin injection and detection in n-type germanium-on-insulator using a Co/Py/Al2O3 spin injector and 3-terminal non-local measurements. We observe an enhanced spin accumulation signal of the order of 1 meV consistent with the sequential tunneling process via interface states in the vicinity of the Al2O3/Ge interface. This spin signal is further observable up to 220 K. Moreover, the presence of a strong inverted Hanle effect points out the influence of random fields arising from interface roughness on the injected spins.

Comparison of Synthetic Antiferromagnets and Hard Ferromagnets as Reference Layer in Magnetic Tunnel Junctions With Perpendicular Magnetic Anisotropy

In magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJ), synthetic antiferromagnets (SAF) are usually used as reference layer to minimize dipolar interactions induced between this layer and the free layer (FL). We show here that the use of SAF allows us to reduce the asymmetry of the FL reversal due to stray fields in nanosized MTJs with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy.

Domain decoration in dipolar coupled ferromagnetic stacks with perpendicular anisotropy

The dipolar stray field effects between two nonuniformly magnetized ferromagnetic Co∕Pt stacks with perpendicular anisotropy are investigated by polar magneto-optical Kerr effect microscopy. Decoration of a reversed domain in the hard stack by a domain ring in the soft stack is evidenced and interpreted by magnetostatic calculations. Mirrored 360° domain walls are strongly stabilized by these interactions.

Influence of edges on the exchange bias properties of ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic nanodots

For ferromagnetic (F)/antiferromagnetic (AF) nanodots contributions of AF spins to exchange bias is discussed. The relative weights of AF entities located at the dot edges, at the F/AF interface and in the AF grains were obtained by comparing the blocking temperature distribution of an array of nanodots with that of corresponding continuous film. Due to grain cutting, the grain size distribution is altered. We show here that the dot edges constitute additional locations for the formation of spin-glasslike AF regions at the F/AF interface. The result of patterning is thus twofold and weakens the dot ability to resist thermally activated magnetization reversal.

Size effects on exchange bias in sub-100 nm ferromagnetic–antiferromagnetic dots deposited on prepatterned substrates

Exchange bias effects have been investigated in ferromagnetic (FM)–antiferromagnetic (AFM) square dots, with lateral sizes of 90 nm, sputtered on a prepatterned Si substrate. The magnetic behavior of the dots has been compared with that of a continuous FM–AFM bilayer with the same composition. Along the unidirectional direction, the dots exhibit square hysteresis loops and preserve an exchange bias field, HE, of 70 Oe at room temperature, which is about 40% smaller than HE in the continuous film. In addition, the distribution of blocking temperatures in the nanostructures is found to be shifted toward lower values with respect to that in the continuous film. These results can be interpreted assuming that the reduced lateral dimensions of the nanostructures impose some constraints on the formation and pinning of domain walls in the AFM layer.

Electrical and thermal spin accumulation in germanium

In this letter, we first show electrical spin injection in the germanium conduction band at room temperature and modulate the spin signal by applying a gate voltage to the channel. The corresponding signal modulation agrees well with the predictions of spin diffusion models. Then, by setting a temperature gradient between germanium and the ferromagnet, we create a thermal spin accumulation in germanium without any charge current. We show that temperature gradients yield larger spin accumulations than electrical spin injection but, due to competing microscopic effects, the thermal spin accumulation remains surprisingly unchanged under the application of a gate voltage.

Dynamic Binding of Driven Interfaces in Coupled Ultrathin Ferromagnetic Layers

We demonstrate experimentally dynamic interface binding in a system consisting of two coupled ferromagnetic layers. While domain walls in each layer have different velocity-field responses, for two broad ranges of the driving field H, walls in the two layers are bound and move at a common velocity. The bound states have their own velocity-field response and arise when the isolated wall velocities in each layer are close, a condition which always occurs as H→0. Several features of the bound states are reproduced using a one-dimensional model, illustrating their general nature.

Balancing interlayer dipolar interactions in multilevel patterned media with out-of-plane magnetic anisotropy

Nanostructures consisting of a stack of two magnetic multilayers with out-of-plane anisotropy and distinct coercivities hold great promises in spintronics devices. Yet their miniaturization leads to interlayer dipolar coupling, which results in detrimental asymmetrical behaviors of magnetization reversal or even in the loss of intermediate antiparallel configuration. In this letter, we take advantage of Ruderman–Kittel–Kasuya–Yosida interactions in order to compensate for this coupling and restore symmetry. The study has been performed on an array of square dots of 200 nm lateral size, each dot consisting of two [Co/Pt] multilayers antiferromagnetically coupled through a thin Ru spacer.

Penetration depth and absorption mechanisms of spin currents in Ir20Mn80 and Fe50Mn50 polycrystalline films by ferromagnetic resonance and spin pumping

Spintronics relies on the spin dependent transport properties of ferromagnets (Fs). Although antiferromagnets (AFs) are used for their magnetic properties only, some fundamental F-spintronics phenomena like spin transfer torque, domain wall motion, and tunnel anisotropic magnetoresistance also occur with AFs, thus making AF-spintronics attractive. Here, room temperature critical depths and absorption mechanisms of spin currents in Ir20Mn80 and Fe50Mn50 are determined by F-resonance and spin pumping. In particular, we find room temperature critical depths originating from different absorption mechanisms: dephasing for Ir20Mn80 and spin flipping for Fe50Mn50.