Interlayer coupling in ultra-thin L10-FePt/MgO/[Co/Pd]30 magnetic tunnel junctions

Author

Pin Ho ; Guchang Han ; Gan Moog Chow ; Jing-Sheng Chen

Author_Institution

Nat. Univ. of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

fYear

2014

fDate

22-23 Sept. 2014

Firstpage

1

Lastpage

2

Abstract

Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy L1₀-FePt/MgO/[Co/Pd]₃₀ magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with ultra-thin L1₀-FePt layer of thickness 1 to 4 nm were fabricated and studied. The ultra-thin L1₀-FePt behaved as the free layer while the thicker and harder [Co/Pd]₃₀ behaved as the fixed layer. The interlayer coupling within the MTJ with L1₀-FePt layer thickness of 4 nm was attributed mainly to magnetostatic coupling and direct coupling due to pinholes. The magnitude of the interlayer coupling field in the L1₀-FePt/MgO/[Co/Pd]₃₀ MTJ was insignificant compared to the L1₀-FePt based pseudo spin valves reported earlier. There was also no sign of dipolar stray field coupling, owing to the single domain characteristic property of the fixed [Co/Pd]₃₀ layer.

Keywords

cobalt; iron alloys; magnesium compounds; magnetic domains; magnetic multilayers; magnetic tunnelling; nanofabrication; nanomagnetics; nanostructured materials; palladium; perpendicular magnetic anisotropy; platinum alloys; FePt-MgO-[Co-Pd]₃₀; direct coupling; fixed layer; free layer; interlayer coupling field; magnetostatic coupling; perpendicular magnetic anisotropy; pinholes; pseudospin valves; single domain characteristic property; size 1 nm to 4 nm; ultrathin magnetic tunnel junctions; Couplings; Magnetic domains; Magnetic hysteresis; Magnetic multilayers; Magnetic tunneling; Nonhomogeneous media; Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy; Co/Pd multilayers; interlayer coupling; magnetic tunnel junctions; ultrathin L10-FePt;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Magnetics Symposium 2014 - Celebrating 50th Anniversary of IEEE Magnetics Society (MSSC50)

Conference_Location

Singapore

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/MSSC.2014.6947690

Filename

6947690