Exchange-spring behavior in epitaxial hard/soft magnetic bilayer films.
We present results on the magnetic reversal process in epitaxial Sm-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-Co films have 20-T uniaxial anisotropy and coercivities >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 of 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.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab., IL (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Department of Energy (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31-109-ENG-38
- OSTI ID:
- 8897
- Report Number(s):
- ANL/MSD/CP-94997; TRN: AH200117%%201
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 43rd Annual Conference on Magnetism and Magnetic Materials, San Francisco, CA (US), 01/06/1998--01/09/1998; Other Information: PBD: 5 Dec 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Exchange-spring behavior in epitaxial hard/soft magnetic bilayers.
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