Noncollinear Fe spin structure in (Sm-Co)/Fe exchange-spring bilayers: layer-resolved {sup 57}Fe Mssbauer spectroscopy and electronic structure calculations.
- Materials Science Division
Magnetization reversal in nanoscale (Sm-Co)/Fe (hard/soft) bilayer exchange-spring magnets with in-plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy was investigated by magnetometry, conversion-electron Moessbauer spectroscopy (CEMS) and atomistic Fe spin-structure calculations. Magnetization loops along the easy direction exhibit signatures typical of exchange-spring magnets. In-field CEMS at inclined {gamma}-ray incidence onto thin (2 nm) {sup 57}Fe probe layers embedded at various depths in the 20-nm-thick natural (soft) Fe layer provides depth-dependent information (via the line-intensity ratio R{sub 23} as a function of the applied field H) about the in-plane rotation of Fe spins. A minimum in the R{sub 23}-vs-H dependence at (H{sub min}, R{sub min}) determines the field where Fe magnetic moments roughly adopt an average perpendicular orientation during their reversal from positive to negative easy-axis orientation. A monotonic decrease of H{sub min} with distance from the hard/soft interface is observed. Rotation of Fe spins takes place even in the interface region in applied fields far below the field of irreversible switching, H{sub irr}, of the hard phase. Formation of an Fe-Co alloy is detected in the interface region. For comparison, the noncollinear Fe spin structure during reversal and the resulting R{sub 23} ratio were obtained by electronic-structure calculations based on a quantum-mechanical Hamiltonian for itinerant electrons. The coupling at the hard/soft interface is described by the uniaxial exchange-anisotropy field, hint, as a parameter. Our calculated R{sub 23} ratios as a function of the (reduced) applied field h exhibit similar features as observed in the experiment, in particular a minimum at (h{sub min}, R{sub min}). R{sub min} is found to increase with hint, thus providing a measure of the interface coupling. Evidence is provided for the existence of fluctuations of the interface coupling. The calculations also show that the Fe spin spiral formed during reversal is highly inhomogeneous. In general, our simulation of the Fe spin structure is applicable for the interpretation of experimental results on layered exchange-spring magnets.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC); DFG-RFBR Cooperative Grant; German Research Foundation (DFG)
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC02-06CH11357
- OSTI ID:
- 1033852
- Report Number(s):
- ANL/MSD.JA-68660; TRN: US201203%%131
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, Vol. 85, Issue 2; ISSN 1098-0121
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- ENGLISH
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