Regensburg 2002 – scientific programme

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MA: Magnetismus

MA 20: Exchange Bias und Coupling

MA 20.2: Talk

Friday, March 15, 2002, 10:45–11:00, H10

Imaging of magnetic domains in ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic Co-Fe₅₀Mn₅₀ bilayers — •W. Kuch, F. Offi, L. I. Chelaru, K. Fukumoto, M. Kotsugi, and J. Kirschner — Max-Planck-Institut für Mikrostrukturphysik, Weinberg 2, D-06120 Halle

Photoelectron emission microscopy has been used to study the magnetic coupling at the interface between a ferromagnetic and an antiferromagnetic material in Co/Fe₅₀Mn₅₀ bilayers epitaxially grown on Cu(001). Element selective magnetic domain images have been taken from both Co/Fe₅₀Mn₅₀/Cu(001) and Fe₅₀Mn₅₀/Co/Cu(001). A completely different domain pattern has been observed in the Co film when coupled to antiferromagnetic Fe₅₀Mn₅₀ compared to paramagnetic Fe₅₀Mn₅₀. Many small domains in the as-grown Co film on top of antiferromagnetic Fe₅₀Mn₅₀ reveal the presence of domains at the surface of the antiferromagnetic layer. A change in the Co axis of magnetization, namely a rotation from the ⟨110⟩ to the ⟨100⟩ in plane directions, is induced by the interaction of the Co film with antiferromagnetic Fe₅₀Mn₅₀. These observations can be explained by a 45^∘ coupling due to frustrations at topological 90^∘ domains in the antiferromagnetic Fe₅₀Mn₅₀ layer.