Magnetic coupling in epitaxial TM/MgO/Fe(001) macroscopic and microscopic trilayers

Multilayered TM/MgO/Fe (001) heterostructures (TM: FeCo, Co/Fe, and Fe) are grown epitaxially, to study the dependence of the magnetic coupling between the two ferromagnetic electrodes on the insulating MgO barrier width and the lateral dimensions of the structures. The crystal quality is investigat...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Martínez Boubeta, Carlos, Teresa, José María de, Costa Krämer, José Luis, Anguita, José Virgilio, Serrate, D., Arnaudas, José I., Ibarra, M. R., Cebollada, Alfonso, Briones Fernández-Pola, Fernando
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2003
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/27290
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/27290
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Heterostructures
Macroscopic and microscopic trilayers
Descripción
Sumario:Multilayered TM/MgO/Fe (001) heterostructures (TM: FeCo, Co/Fe, and Fe) are grown epitaxially, to study the dependence of the magnetic coupling between the two ferromagnetic electrodes on the insulating MgO barrier width and the lateral dimensions of the structures. The crystal quality is investigated by reflection high-energy electron diffraction in situ at different growth stages of the TM/MgO/Fe(001) heterostructures. Magnetic characterization by superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry (macroscopic structures) and transverse Kerr effect (microscopic structures) shows clearly independent switching of top and bottom electrodes at large (above 20 Å) spacer thicknesses for macroscopic films. This independent switching is also observed on patterned structures. For very thin barriers, decreasing the size of the elements in patterned arrays decreases the number of junctions coupled via pinholes.