AIP Advances (May 2017)

Tailoring perpendicular magnetic coupling by XMCD

  • Y. U. Idzerda,
  • R. Snow,
  • H. Bhatkar,
  • A. T. N’Diaye,
  • E. A. Arenholz

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4974022
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 5
pp. 056306 – 056306-5

Abstract

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The elemental perpendicular magnetic anisotropy constants of both elements of a 20 nm bcc Co88Mn12 alloy film grown on MgO(001) and capped with Al, have been determined. By fitting a Stoner-Wohlfarth astroid model to the measured Co and Mn L3 XMCD peak intensities as a function of incidence photon angle with the magnetic field applied co-axially with the photon propagation direction, the elemental perpendicular anisotropy constants were found to be −6.46 x 105 J/m3 and −6.68 x 105 J/m3, respectively. The modeling of the Co and Mn data both result in nearly the same anisotropy constant as expected for a single alloy film.