Zhan Qingfeng

Fabrication, properties, and applications of flexible magnetic films

Flexible magnetic devices, i.e., magnetic devices fabricated on flexible substrates, are very attractive in applications such as detection of magnetic field in an arbitrary surface, non-contact actuators, and microwave devices, due to their stretchable, biocompatible, light-weight, portable, and low cost properties. Flexible magnetic films are essential for the realization of various functionalities of flexible magnetic devices. To give a comprehensive understanding for flexible magnetic films and related devices, recent advances in the study of flexible magnetic films are reviewed, including fabrication methods, magnetic and transport properties of flexible magnetic films, and their applications in magnetic sensors, actuators, and microwave devices. Our aim is to foster a comprehensive understanding of these films and devices. Three typical methods have been introduced to prepare the flexible magnetic films, by deposition of magnetic films on flexible substrates, by a transfer and bonding approach or by including and then removing sacrificial layers. Stretching or bending the magnetic films is a good way to apply mechanical strain to them, so that magnetic anisotropy, exchange bias, coercivity, and magnetoresistance can be effectively manipulated. Finally, a series of examples is shown to demonstrate the great potential of flexible magnetic films for future applications.

Magnetization reversal of ultrathin Fe film grown on Si（111） using iron silicide template

Ultrathin Fe films were epitaxially grown on Si(111) by using an ultrathin iron silicide film with p(2 × 2) surface reconstruction as a template. The surface structure and magnetic properties were investigated in situ by low energy electron diffraction (LEED), scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM), and surface magneto-optical effect (SMOKE). Polar SMOKE hysteresis loops demonstrate that the Fe ultrathin films with thickness t < 6ML (monolayers) exhibit perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. The characters of M-H loops with the external magnetic field at difference angles and the angular dependence of coercivity suggest that the domain-wall pinning plays a dominant role in the magnetization reversal process.

Growth of Mn5Ge3 ultrathin film on Ge(111)

The growth of Mn5Ge3 ultrathin films with different thicknesses, prepared by solid phase epitaxy, is studied. The results of scanning tunnelling microscopy and low energy electron diffraction studies show that the film can be formed and it is terminated with a (?3 ? ?3) R30? surface reconstruction when the thickness of Mn exceeds 3 monolayers. The magnetic properties show that the Curie temperature is about 300 K and the T2-dependent behaviour is observed to remain up to 220 K.

Magnetoresistance probe of ultrathin Mn(5)Ge(3) films with Anderson weak localization

We present the magnetoresistance measurements of ultrathin Mn(5) Ge(3) films with different thicknesses at low temperatures. Owing to the lattice mismatch between Mn(5)Ge(3) and Cc (111), the thickness of Mn(5) Ge(3) films has a significant effect on the magnetoresistance. When the thickness of Mn is more than 72 monolayers (MLs), the magnetoresistance of the Mn(5)Ge(3) films appears a peak at about 6kOe, which shows that the magnetoresistance results from the Anderson weak localization effect and the variable range hopping in the presence of a magnetic field. The magnetic and semiconducting properties indicate that the Mn(5)Ge(3) film is a potential material for spin injection.

Magnetization reversal of Fe ultrathin film on Cu(100)

The magnetization reversal of Fe/Cu(100) ultrathin films grown at room temperature is investigated by using an in situ magneto-optical Kerr effect polarimeter with a magnet that can rotate in a plane of incidence. There occur spin reorientation transitions from out-of-plane to in-plane magnetizations in 8 and 12 monolayers (ML) thick iron films. The coercive fields are observed to be proportional to the reciprocal of the cosine with respect to the easy axis, suggesting that the domain-wall displacement plays a main role in the magnetization reversal process.