Soft magnetic lithography and giant magnetoresistance in superconducting/ferromagnetic hybrids.

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 2008 · Phys. Rev. B

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.78.214511· OSTI ID:947543

Vlasko-Vlasov, V; Welp, U; Imre, A; Rosenmann, D; Pearson, J; Kwok, W K

We demonstrate an approach to create a tunable pinning potential in a superconducting/ferromagnetic (SC/FM) hybrid, allowing the switching of their electronic properties through the application of a small magnetic field. Using direct magneto-optical imaging, macroscopic transport, and magnetic measurements, we show that the alignment of stripe domains in the ferromagnet provides a remarkable directionality for the superconducting vortex motion. An analysis of the anisotropic flux motion demonstrates a substantial critical current anisotropy in the superconductor. The possibility of aligning stable lattices of stripe domains in select directions using in-plane magnetic fields allows the realization of soft magnetic lithography for efficient manipulation of supercurrent flow in SC/FM bilayers. Furthermore, in our samples we observed a pronounced magnetoresistance effect yielding 4 orders of magnitude resistivity change in a few millitesla in-plane field.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)
• Sponsoring Organization: SC
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-06CH11357
• OSTI ID: 947543
• Report Number(s): ANL/MSD/JA-62738
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev. B, Journal Name: Phys. Rev. B Journal Issue: 2008 Vol. 78; ISSN 1098-0121
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: ENGLISH

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ALIGNMENT
ANISOTROPY
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
CRITICAL CURRENT
FERROMAGNETIC MATERIALS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETORESISTANCE
SUPERCONDUCTORS