Disorder-induced microscopic magnetic memory

Journal Article · Thu Jan 06 00:00:00 EST 2005 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.94.017202· OSTI ID:836246

Pierce, M S; Buechler, C R; Sorenson, L B; Turner, J J; Kevan, S D; Jagla, E A; Deutsch, J M; Mai, T; Narayan, O; Davies, J E; Liu, K; Hunter-Dunn, J; Chesnel, K M; Kortright, J B; Hellwig, O; Fullerton, E E

Using coherent x-ray speckle metrology, we have measured the influence of disorder on major loop return point memory (RPM) and complementary point memory (CPM) for a series of perpendicular anisotropy Co/Pt multilayer films. In the low disorder limit, the domains structures show no memory with field cycling - no PRM and no CPM. With increasing disorder, we observe the onset and the saturation of both the RPM and the CPM. These results provide the first direct ensemble-sensitive experimental study of the effects of varying disorder on microscopic magnetic memory and are compared against the predictions of existing theories.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: US Department of Energy (US)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 836246
• Report Number(s): LBNL-56873; PRLTAO; R&D Project: 504101; TRN: US200503%%308
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 94; Other Information: Journal Publication Date: 14 January 2005; PBD: 6 Jan 2005; ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ANISOTROPY
PERT METHOD
ORDER PARAMETERS
COBALT
PLATINUM
FILMS
DOMAIN STRUCTURE
ORDER-DISORDER TRANSFORMATIONS
MAGNETIC DOMAINS
X-RAY SCATTERING
COHERENT SCATTERING