V. Höink

Domain propagation in He-ion-bombarded magnetic wires with opposite exchange bias

Exchange-biased IrMn/CoFe full films are magnetically structured with He-ion bombardment into stripes with antiparallel-aligned loop shift. The patterning results in a two-step magnetization loop corresponding to two regions of oppositely aligned exchange bias. The longitudinal magnetization reversal through head-on domain-wall motion and partial penetration of magnetization from neighboring strips is highly asymmetric involving ripplelike domain structures and incoherent rotation of magnetization. In addition, Neel-wall-like structures with a preferred sense of rotation are formed at the edges of the strips. Along the transverse direction the reversal is dominated by the switching of the magnetic border structures between the strips. Complicated domain patterns are generated under other external field angles.

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.

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.

Influence of ion bombardment on transport properties and exchange bias in magnetic tunnel junctions

Magnetic tunnel junctions (Mn83Ir17/Co70Fe30/AlOx/Ni80Fe20) were bombarded by 10–20 keV He+ ions in an applied magnetic field to manipulate the exchange bias of the magnetically hard electrode. The tunneling magnetoresistance of the bombarded junctions is up to 37.8% for ion doses high enough to ensure a well defined exchange bias. This should allow the preparation of high quality tunnel junctions with magnetic micropatterned hard electrodes. For very high ion doses the tunneling magnetoresistance starts to decrease, whereas the area resistance product increases. Possible explanations based on structural alterations of the tunneling barrier are discussed.

Reconfigurable magnetic logic for all basic logic functions produced by ion bombardment induced magnetic patterning

In most common logic gates based on transistors, different logic functions have to be realized by applying a large number of logic gates, which are capable of performing only one function. A promising approach to overcome this obstacle with the additional advantage of a nonvolatile output is a reconfigurable logic based on small arrays of magnetic tunnel junctions. Here, an approach utilizing an ion bombardment induced patterning of the reference layer is proposed where the same logic unit consisting of only two magnetic tunnel junctions can be used for the AND, OR, NAND, NOR, and X(N)OR, functions.

Characterization of magnetic force microscopy probe tip remagnetization for measurements in external in-plane magnetic fields

A quantitative analysis of magnetic force microscopy (MFM) images taken in external in-plane magnetic fields is difficult because of the influence of the magnetic field on the magnetization state of the magnetic probe tip. We prepared calibration samples by ion bombardment induced magnetic patterning with a topographically flat magnetic pattern magnetically stable in a certain external magnetic field range for a quantitative characterization of the MFM probe tip magnetization in point-dipole approximation.

Influence of ion bombardment induced patterning of exchange bias in pinned artificial ferrimagnets on the interlayer exchange coupling

Artificial ferrimagnets have many applications as, e.g., pinned reference electrodes in magnetic tunnel junctions. It is known that the application of ion bombardment (IB) induced patterning of the exchange bias coupling of a single layer reference electrode in magnetic tunnel junctions with He ions is possible. For applications as, e.g., special types of magnetic logic, a combination of the IB induced patterning of the exchange bias coupling and the implementation of an artificial ferrimagnet as reference electrode is desirable. Here, investigations for a pinned artificial ferrimagnet with a Ru interlayer, which is frequently used in magnetic tunnel junctions, are presented. It is shown that in this kind of samples the exchange bias can be increased or rotated by IB induced magnetic patterning with 10keV He ions without a destruction of the antiferromagnetic interlayer exchange coupling. An IrMn∕Py∕Co∕Cu∕Co stack turned out to be more sensitive to the influence of IB than the Ru based artificial ferrimagnet.

Switchable resonant x-ray Bragg scattering on a magnetic grating patterned by ion bombardment

A local manipulation of the exchange bias coupling between antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic layers by ion bombardment induced magnetic patterning enables a patterning of the magnetization direction of the ferromagnetic layer without considerable structural changes. We show that a magnetic line grating with alternating antiparallel orientations of the magnetization of the ferromagnetic layer acts as a magnetically switchable reflective grating for soft x-ray radiation. A common rotational direction of the magnetization at all boundaries between bombarded and not bombarded lines is shown by magnetic force microscopy measurements. Scattering at the edges of the bombarded lines might be responsible for the observed interference pattern.

Magnetic and chemical properties of Co2MnSi thin films compared to the Co2MnSi∕Al-O interface

The Heusler alloy Co2MnSi with theoretically predicted 100% spin polarization has been successfully implemented in Co2MnSi∕AlOx∕Co7Fe3 magnetic tunnel junctions recently. Here we investigated 100 nm thick Co2MnSi films grown on a vanadium buffer and capped by a thin alumina film. This stack is similar to the lower electrode including the tunneling barrier of magnetic tunnel junctions. By soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy and magnetic circular dichroism in fluorescence and total electron yield detection we determined differences between the chemical and magnetic properties of the Co2MnSi thin films and the Co2MnSi∕AlOx interface. Whereas MnO was formed directly at the interface during plasma oxidation of the Al layer, the interfacial Co was not oxidized and its x-ray absorption line shape at the L2,3 edge was similar to the line shape of bulk Co2MnSi. The atomically ordered bulk Co2MnSi showed characteristic differences in the x-ray absorption spectra in comparison with the disordered samples: in the orde...