Layer Resolved Imaging of Magnetic Domain Motion in Epitaxial Heterostructures

ORAL

Abstract

We use X-ray Excited Luminescence Microscopy (XELM) to image the elemental and layer resolved magnetic domain structure of an epitaxial Fe/Cr wedge/Co heterostructure in the presence of large magnetic fields.~ The observed magnetic domains exhibit several unique behaviors that depend on the Cr thickness (tCr) modulated interlayer exchange coupling (IEC) strength. For Cr thickness tCr?\textless ?0.34?nm and tCr?\textgreater ?1.5?nm, strongly coupled parallel Co-Fe reversal and weakly coupled layer independent reversal are observed, respectively.~ The transition between these two reversal mechanisms for 0.34?\textless ?tCr?\textless ?1.5?nm is described by a combination of IEC guided domain wall motion and stationary zig zag domain walls. We observe domain walls nucleated at switching field minima are guided by IEC spatial gradients and collapse at switching field maxima.

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Authors

  • Sioan Zohar

    • Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA

  • Yongseong Choi

    • Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA

  • David Love

    • Cavendish Laboratory, Dept. of Physics, University of Cambridge
    • Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, J J Thomson Avenue, CB3 0HE Cambridge, United Kingdom

  • Rhodri Mansell

    • Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, J J Thomson Avenue, CB3 0HE Cambridge, United Kingdom

  • Crispin Barnes

    • Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, J J Thomson Avenue, CB3 0HE Cambridge, United Kingdom

  • David Keavney

    • Argonne National Laboratory
    • Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory
    • Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA

  • Richard Rosenberg

    • Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA
    • Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois