Studies of the magnetic structure at the ferromagnet - antiferromagnet interface

Conference · Tue Jan 02 04:00:00 EST 2001

OSTI ID:775128

Scholl, A ^[1]; Nolting, F; Stohr, J; Luning, J; Seo, J W; Locquet, J -P; Anders, S; Ohldag, H; Padmore, H A

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1. LBNL Library

Antiferromagnetic layers are a scientifically challenging component in magneto-electronic devices such as magnetic sensors in hard disk heads, or magnetic RAM elements. In this paper we show that photo-electron emission microscopy (PEEM) is capable of determining the magnetic structure at the interface of ferromagnets and antiferromagnets with high spatial resolution (down to 20 nm). Dichroism effects at the L edges of the magnetic 3d transition metals, using circularly or linearly polarized soft x-rays from a synchrotron source, give rise to a magnetic image contrast. Images, acquired with the PEEM2 experiment at the Advanced Light Source, show magnetic contrast for antiferromagnetic LaFeO{sub 3}, microscopically resolving the magnetic domain structure in an antiferromagnetically ordered thin film for the first time. Magnetic coupling between LaFeO{sub 3} and an adjacent Co layer results in a complete correlation of their magnetic domain structures. From field dependent measurements a unidirectional anisotropy resulting in a local exchange bias of up to 30 Oe in single domains could be deduced. The elemental specificity and the quantitative magnetic sensitivity render PEEM a perfect tool to study magnetic coupling effects in multi-layered thin film samples.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley National Lab., CA (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Director, Office of Science. Office of Basic Energy Studies (US)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 775128
• Report Number(s): LBNL--45807
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ANTIFERROMAGNETIC MATERIALS
COBALT
DOMAIN STRUCTURE
EXCHANGE BIAS ANTIFERROMAGNETISM PEEM
FERROMAGNETIC MATERIALS
INTERFACES
IRON OXIDES
LANTHANUM OXIDES
MAGNETIC PROPERTIES
MAGNETS
SPATIAL RESOLUTION
THIN FILMS