Modifying magnetic properties of ultra-thin magnetite films by growth on Fe pre-covered MgO(001)
- DESY, Photon Science, Notkestr. 85, 22607 Hamburg (Germany)
- Physics Department, Center for Spinelectronic Materials and Devices, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33501 Bielefeld (Germany)
Iron oxide films were reactively grown on iron buffer films, which were deposited before on MgO(001) substrates to analyze the influence of the initial iron buffer layers on the magnetic properties of the magnetite films. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and low energy electron diffraction showed that magnetite films of high crystalline quality in the surface near region were formed by this two-step deposition procedure. The underlying iron film, however, was completely oxidized as proved by x-ray reflectometry and diffraction. The structural bulk quality of the iron oxide film is poor compared to magnetite films directly grown on MgO(001). Although the iron film was completely oxidized, we found drastically modified magnetic properties for these films using the magnetooptic Kerr effect. The magnetite films had strongly increased coercive fields, and their magnetic in-plane anisotropy is in-plane rotated by 45∘ compared to magnetite films formed directly by one step reactive growth on MgO(001)
- OSTI ID:
- 22489490
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 118, Issue 11; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Physical properties of epitaxial ZrN/MgO(001) layers grown by reactive magnetron sputtering
NiO/Fe(001): Magnetic anisotropy, exchange bias, and interface structure