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Title: Switching a magnetic vortex by interlayer coupling in epitaxially grown Co/Cu/Py/Cu(001) trilayer disks

Journal Article · · JOURNAL OF PHYSICS: CONDENSED MATTER

Epitaxial Py/Cu/Co/Cu(001) trilayers were patterned into micron sized disks and imaged using element-specific photoemission electron microscopy. By varying the Cu spacer layer thickness, we study how the coupling between the two magnetic layers influences the formation of magnetic vortex states. We find that while the Py and Co disks form magnetic vortex domains when the interlayer coupling is ferromagnetic, the magnetic vortex domains of the Py and Co disks break into anti-parallel aligned multidomains when the interlayer coupling is antiferromagnetic. We explain this result in terms of magnetic flux closure between the Py and Co layers for the antiferromagnetic coupling case.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
Advanced Light Source Division; Materials Sciences Division
DOE Contract Number:
DE-AC02-05CH11231
OSTI ID:
988996
Report Number(s):
LBNL-3934E; ISSN 1361-648X; TRN: US1007006
Journal Information:
JOURNAL OF PHYSICS: CONDENSED MATTER, Vol. 22, Issue 34; ISSN 0953-8984
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English