We report an investigation of the magnetic properties of Fe films epitaxially grown on NiO layers with _001_orientation. The results are interpreted with the help of a morphological characterization of the system. Theonset of ferromagnetic behavior for the Fe layer is observed at 8 ML and it is ascribed to the coalescence of theislands, formed by Fe at the first stages of the growth, into larger interconnected islands. At larger Fe layerthickness the magnetization reversal is explained by taking into account the interplay between a unidirectionalanisotropy, due to coupling with NiO, and the uniaxial growth anisotropy of Fe, which develops around 50 MLFe layer thickness. No significant chemical modification of the interface is observed for thermal treatments upto 540 K. Exchange bias can be induced only for NiO layer thickness above 25 ML and its value can be tunedby changing the ferromagnetic to antiferromagnetic layer thickness ratio, reaching 220 Oe. No training effectis observed for this system.
Magnetic couplings and exchange bias in Fe/NiO epitaxial layers / Luches, P.; Benedetti, S.; di Bona, A.; Valeri, Sergio. - In: PHYSICAL REVIEW. B, CONDENSED MATTER AND MATERIALS PHYSICS. - ISSN 1098-0121. - STAMPA. - 81:5(2010), p. 054431. [10.1103/PhysRevB.81.054431]
Magnetic couplings and exchange bias in Fe/NiO epitaxial layers
S. Benedetti;VALERI, Sergio
2010
Abstract
We report an investigation of the magnetic properties of Fe films epitaxially grown on NiO layers with _001_orientation. The results are interpreted with the help of a morphological characterization of the system. Theonset of ferromagnetic behavior for the Fe layer is observed at 8 ML and it is ascribed to the coalescence of theislands, formed by Fe at the first stages of the growth, into larger interconnected islands. At larger Fe layerthickness the magnetization reversal is explained by taking into account the interplay between a unidirectionalanisotropy, due to coupling with NiO, and the uniaxial growth anisotropy of Fe, which develops around 50 MLFe layer thickness. No significant chemical modification of the interface is observed for thermal treatments upto 540 K. Exchange bias can be induced only for NiO layer thickness above 25 ML and its value can be tunedby changing the ferromagnetic to antiferromagnetic layer thickness ratio, reaching 220 Oe. No training effectis observed for this system.
Pubblicazioni consigliate
I metadati presenti in IRIS UNIMORE sono rilasciati con licenza Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal, mentre i file delle pubblicazioni sono rilasciati con licenza Attribuzione 4.0 Internazionale (CC BY 4.0), salvo diversa indicazione.
In caso di violazione di copyright, contattare Supporto Iris
