Polarized neutron reflectivity studies on granular Co80Fe20/Al2O3 multilayers

✍ Scribed by S. Bedanta; E. Kentzinger; O. Petracic; W. Kleemann; U. Rücker; A. Paul; Th. Brückel; S. Cardoso; P.P. Freitas

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2007
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 296 KB
• Volume: 397
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0921-4526
• DOI: 10.1016/j.physb.2007.02.066

✦ Synopsis

Polarized neutron reflectivity (PNR) studies have been performed on granular multilayers [Co 80 Fe 20 (t n )/Al 2 O 3 (3 nm)] m . For a nonpercolating superferromagnetic (SFM) sample (t n ¼ 1.3 nm) no spin-flip (SF) scattering was observed, measured at various points of the hysteresis, confirming that the magnetization reversal is achieved merely by domain nucleation and growth. For a percolated sample (t n ¼ 1.6 nm) an oscillating magnetization depth profile from FeCo layer to FeCo layer along the multilayer stack was observed around the coercive field. The competition between long-range dipolar, short-range Ne´el and external field interactions apparently give rise to such a modulated magnetization depth profile in these magnetic multilayers.