Regensburg 2010 – scientific programme

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MA: Fachverband Magnetismus

MA 10: Poster I

MA 10.56: Poster

Tuesday, March 23, 2010, 10:45–13:45, Poster A

Vector MOKE analysis on ultrathin ferromagnetic films — •Timo Kuschel¹, Hauke Bardenhagen¹, Robin Schubert¹, Henrik Wilkens¹, Daniel Bruns¹, Martin Suendorf¹, Bernd Zimmermann¹, Florian Bertram², and Joachim Wollschläger¹ — ¹Fachbereich Physik, Universität Osnabrück, Barbarastr. 7, 49069 Osnabrück, Germany — ²HASYLAB at DESY, Notkestr. 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany

In order to study the magnetic reversal and the magnetic anisotropy of ultrathin ferromagnetic films, Fe layers of different thicknesses are assembled on MgO(001) substrates by Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) under UHV conditions. The films are capped by amorphous silicon to avoid oxidation after leaving the UHV chamber. The structural characterization including X-Ray Reflectivity (XRR) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) measurements are performed at HASYLAB (DESY, Hamburg).

The vector MOKE analysis is based on measurements using parallel and perpendicular polarized light as well as external magnetic fields parallel and perpendicular to the incident plane of light to optain the components of the magnetization vector. A self-programmed tool is used for analyzing the magnetization curves and calculating the magnetization vector for the reversal process of different sample directions.

The results reveal a 180° reversal with a domain splitting involved for the external magnetic field parallel to one of the magnetic easy axis of the sample. The data for the magnetic hard axis show a rotation of the magnetization vector into the magnetic easy axis followed by a 90° reversal and subsequent rotation into the magnetic hard axis back.