Exchange-spring behavior in epitaxial hard/soft magnetic bilayer films

Journal Article · Mon Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1998 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.367769· OSTI ID:627965

Jiang, J S; Fullerton, E E; Grimsditch, M; Sowers, C H; Bader, S D ^[1]

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1. Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois60439 (United States)

We present results on the magnetic reversal process in epitaxial Sm{endash}Co(1{bar 1}00)/TM (TM=Fe, Co) bilayer films prepared via magnetron sputtering onto Cr-buffered single-crystal MgO substrates. The magnetically hard Sm{endash}Co films have 20 T uniaxial anisotropy and coercivities {gt}3 T at room temperature. The magnetization of the soft layer is pinned at the interface to the hard-magnet layer and switches reversibly as expected for an exchange-spring magnet. With increasing soft layer thickness, the coercive field of the hard layer becomes significantly less than that of a single layer. We also present numerical solutions to a one-dimensional model that provide the spin configuration for each atomic layer. Comparison of the experimental results with the model simulations indicates that the exchange-spring behavior of our bilayer films can be understood from the intrinsic parameters of the hard and soft layers. {copyright} {ital 1998 American Institute of Physics.}

• OSTI ID: 627965
• Report Number(s): CONF-980102--
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics Journal Issue: 11 Vol. 83; ISSN JAPIAU; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
COBALT ALLOYS
COERCIVE FORCE
EXCHANGE INTERACTIONS
FERROMAGNETIC MATERIALS
IRON
MAGNETIZATION
PERMANENT MAGNETS
SAMARIUM ALLOYS
SIMULATION
SPUTTERING
THIN FILMS