Electron Beam Tuning of the Magnetic Anisotropy in Co/Cu(110) Films

Author

Reeve, Robert ; Chin, Shin-Liang ; Kopper, Klaus Peter ; Ionescu, Adrian ; Barnes, Crispin H W

Author_Institution

Dept. of Phys., Univ. of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

Volume

47

Issue

6

fYear

2011

fDate

6/1/2011 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

1554

Lastpage

1558

Abstract

The 90° in-plane spin reorientation transition caused by residual gas adsorption in the Co/Cu(110) system has been investigated using Mott electron polarimetry. The system displays a 3-D growth mode, forming islands with a preferential axis of elongation along the [1-10] direction. The adsorption of CO at the step edges is found to change the net anisotropy of the system and bring about the change in the relaxed magnetization direction. By carefully limiting the duration of electron beam exposure, it has been shown that this spin rotation can also be observed using Mott polarimetry, where it manifests itself as variations in the secondary electron spin polarization. Extended exposure of the switched film to an electron beam can reverse the easy axis direction, allowing local tuning of the magnetic anisotropy in this system.

Keywords

adsorption; carbon compounds; cobalt; copper; electron beam effects; electron spin polarisation; island structure; magnetic anisotropy; magnetic thin films; spin dynamics; 3D growth mode; CO; CO adsorption; Co; Co-Cu(110) films; Cu; Mott electron polarimetry; electron beam exposure; electron beam tuning; elongation; in-plane spin reorientation transition; island structure; magnetic anisotropy; preferential axis; relaxed magnetization direction; residual gas adsorption; secondary electron spin polarization; spin rotation; step edges; switched film; Anisotropic magnetoresistance; Copper; Electron beams; Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy; Surface treatment; Switches; Adsorbates; Mott polarimetry; catalysis; magnetic anisotropy; spin-reorientation transition;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Magnetics, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9464

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/TMAG.2011.2106484

Filename

5772197