Publikationsrepositorium - Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf

Multilayer ultrathin-films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) show a perspective as candidates for spintronic devices. The effective magnetic anisotropy strongly depends on the magnetic layer thickness – spin reorientation transition (SRT) at a critical thickness takes place from the inplane to out-of-plane magnetization direction. Moreover, SRT can be shifted to higher thicknesses by means of ion [1] and fs-laser irradiation [2]. Here, we employ variable energy positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) that is sensitive to open volume defects and their atomic surrounding to compare these two methods of the SRT inducement. Molecular beam epitaxy deposited films with different bottom Pt layer thicknesses and growth temperatures have been investigated. In case of Ar+ ion irradiated trilayers magnetization can be driven to the out-of-plane state twice as a function of ion fluence [1], whereas our preliminary studies of UV laser irradiation suggest only one SRT.
PAS analysis (Fig. 1) of the as-grown samples reveal slight differences in crystal quality and defect concentration that is likely due to a thicker bottom Pt layer used for the ion irradiation experiment.
Films utilized for the laser irradiation exhibit larger initial positron diffusion length, L+ that is close to L+ of the substrate (~60nm). In case of lower ion and laser fluences only minor and no interface intermixing has been found, respectively. The sample irradiated with lower ion fluence shows a slight increase of S (for E~1.5keV) being likely due to Co-vacancy increase, which could be responsible for first SRT. The sample irradiated with lower laser fluence shows no difference compare to the asgrown stacks, where only increase of magnetic anisotropy was found. The larger ion and laser fluences reorients magnetization to the out-of-plane state that is evidenced by both magneto-optical and PAS studies – S(E) curves nicely overlap. Moreover, large intermixing is expected, thus creation of the CoPt alloy with PMA. To elucidate stoichiometry and atomic surrounding of open volume defect coincidence Doppler broadening investigations will be presented.
*Corresponding author. E-mail address: m.liedke@hzdr.de
[1] A. Maziewski et al., Phys. Rev. B. 85, 054427 (2012)
[2] J. Kisielewski et al., J. Appl. Phys. 115, 053906 (2014)