Unusual Magnetization Reversal in [Co/Pt]₄ Multilayers with Perpendicular Anisotropy

Authors

Xuemei Cheng, Bryn Mawr CollegeFollow
V. I. Nikitenko
A. J. Shapiro
R. D. Shull
C. L. Chien

Document Type

Article

Version

Publisher's PDF

Publication Title

Journal of Applied Physics

Volume

99

Publication Date

2006

Abstract

Unusual magnetization reversal of [Co(4 Å)/Pt(10 Å)]₄ multilayers with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy has been revealed macroscopically by magnetometry measurements and microscopically by magneto-optical Kerr effect microscopy and magnetic force microscopy (MFM) imaging. During the first-order reversal process, the magnetization first decreases, then reaches a plateau, and finally rises back to saturation, corresponding to expanding bubble domains, stationary domains, and fading contrast but unchanged boundary domains, respectively. MFM imaging reveals the existence of many submicron-scaled unreversed channels within the boundary of the “bubble” domains. The magnetization reversal behavior can be accounted for by the evolution of the unusual domain structures in different field regimes.

Publisher's Statement

Copyright (2006) American Institute of Physics. This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and the American Institute of Physics. The following article appeared in J. Appl. Phys. 99, 8C905 (2006), and may be found at http://jap.aip.org/resource/1/japiau/v99/i8/p08C905_s1.

Citation

X. M. Cheng et al., J. Appl. Phys. 99, 8C905 (2006).

DOI

10.1063/1.2166608