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Title: Interlayer exchange coupling between layers with perpendicular and easy-plane magnetic anisotropies

Journal Article · · Applied Physics Letters
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4960795· OSTI ID:22590524
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  1. Department of Physics, New York University, New York, New York 10003 (United States)
  2. Spin Transfer Technologies, Inc., Fremont, California 94538 (United States)
  3. CIC nanoGUNE Consolider, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastian (Spain)

Interlayer exchange coupling between layers with perpendicular and easy-plane magnetic anisotropies separated by a non-magnetic spacer is studied using ferromagnetic resonance. The samples consist of a Co/Ni multilayer with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and a CoFeB layer with easy-plane anisotropy separated by a variable thickness Ru layer. At a fixed frequency, we show that there is an avoided crossing of layer ferromagnetic resonance modes providing direct evidence for interlayer coupling. The mode dispersions for different Ru thicknesses are fit to a Heisenberg-type model to determine the interlayer exchange coupling strength and layer properties. The resulting interlayer exchange coupling varies continuously from antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic as a function of the Ru interlayer thickness. These results show that the magnetic layer single domain ground state consists of magnetizations that can be significantly canted with respect to the layer planes and the canting can be tuned by varying the Ru thickness and the layer magnetic characteristics, a capability of interest for applications in spin-transfer torque devices.

OSTI ID:
22590524
Journal Information:
Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 109, Issue 8; Other Information: (c) 2016 Author(s); Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English