In-Plane Angular Dependence of Magnetic Anisotropy Energy and Magnetization Processes of Gd Moment Vectors in TM/FeGd/TM Trilayers (TM = Fe, Co) Investigated by X-ray Magnetic Circular Dichroism and Resonant X-ray Magnetic Reflectivity

• Published in: Journal of the Physical Society of Japan 2009-03, Vol.78 (3), p.34701
• Main Authors: KODAMA, Kenji, KOKUFU, Ryoma, HOSOITO, Nobuyoshi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Exact sciences and technology; Interfacial magnetic properties (multilayers, magnetic quantum wells, superlattices, magnetic heterostructures); Magnetic properties and materials; Magnetic properties of surface, thin films and multilayers; Physics
• ISSN: 0031-9015; 1347-4073
• DOI: 10.1143/jpsj.78.034701

Element-specific magnetization processes in antiferromagnetically coupled ferro/ferri/ferromagnetic trilayer systems made of Fe/FeGd/Fe and Co/FeGd/Co were investigated by x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) spectra and resonant x-ray magnetic reflectivity (RXMR). The magnetic field dependence of the RXMR intensities at the Gd L3-absorption edge for the Fe/FeGd/Fe trilayer and that of the XMCD and RXMR intensities at the Gd L3-, Fe K-, and Co K-absorption edges for the Co/FeGd/Co trilayer were measured. The element-specific magnetization processes of Gd moments with the in-plane applied field were compared between the Fe/FeGd/Fe and Co/FeGd/Co trilayers. The experimental results indicate that the Gd magnetization rotates either clockwise or anticlockwise with equal probability in the Co/FeGd/Co trilayer, whereas it rotates in one direction in the Fe/FeGd/Fe trilayer. The magnetic anisotropies along the in-plane directions were estimated for both trilayers from remanence measurements in various in-plane directions. We discuss the different rotation modes of the Gd magnetization in terms of the distribution of in-plane magnetic easy directions.