Temperature effect on exchange coupling and magnetization reversal in antiferromagnetically coupled (Co/Pd) multilayers

Authors

R. Sbiaa, Sultan Qaboos University
I. A. Al-Omari, Sultan Qaboos University
Parashu R. Kharel, South Dakota State UniversityFollow
M. Ranjbar, University of Gothenburg
David J. Sellmyer, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
J. Akerman, University of Gothenburg
S. N. Piramanayagam, Nanyang Technological University, SingaporeFollow

Date of this Version

2015

Citation

JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS 118, 063902 (2015)

Comments

Copyright 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.

Abstract

Magnetization reversal of antiferromagnetically coupled (AFC) soft and hard (Co/Pd) multilayers was studied as a function of temperature. While the hard [Co(0.3 nm)/Pd(0.8 nm)]_x10 was kept unchanged, the softness of the [Co(t)/Pd(0.8 nm)]_x3 was controlled by varying the thickness t of the Co sublayer. Clear two-step hysteresis loops were observed for all the investigated multilayers with t ranging between 0.4 and 1 nm. The spin reorientation of the soft layer magnetization from in-plane direction to out-of-plane direction was investigated from 50 to 300 K. The antiferromagnetic field HAFC measured from the shift of the minor hysteresis loop reveals a good agreement to the quantum-well model. From the out-of-plane hysteresis loop of the uncoupled soft layer, its magnetization shows an in-plane orientation for t>0.6 nm. The strong H_AFC helps to induce an out-of plane orientation of the soft layer with a linear decrease of its coercivity with temperature. These investigated structures show the possibility to reduce the unwanted stray field and improving the out-of-plane anisotropy even for relatively thicker soft layer.