Article abstract
Nature Materials 5, 128 - 133 (2006)
Published online: 8 January 2006 | doi:10.1038/nmat1548
There is an Erratum (March 2006) associated with this article.
Subject Categories: Magnetic materials | Surface and thin films
Tuning the magnetic coupling across ultrathin antiferromagnetic films by controlling atomic-scale roughness
W. Kuch1,2, L. I. Chelaru1, F. Offi1, J. Wang1, M. Kotsugi1 & J. Kirschner1
Abstract
Characterization and control of the interface structure and morphology at the atomic level is an important issue in understanding the magnetic interaction between an antiferromagnetic material and an adjacent ferromagnet in detail, because the atomic spins in an antiferromagnet change direction on the length scale of nearest atomic distances. Despite its technological importance for the development of advanced magnetic data-storage devices and extensive studies, the details of the magnetic interface coupling between antiferromagnets and ferromagnets have remained concealed. Here we present the results of magneto-optical Kerr-effect measurements and layer-resolved spectro-microscopic magnetic domain imaging of single-crystalline ferromagnet–antiferromagnet– ferromagnet trilayers. Atomic-level control of the interface morphology is achieved by systematically varying the thicknesses of the bottom ferromagnetic and the antiferromagnetic layer. We find that the magnetic coupling across the interface is mediated by step edges of single-atom height, whereas atomically flat areas do not contribute.
- Max-Planck-Institut für Mikrostrukturphysik, Weinberg 2, D-06120 Halle, Germany
- Freie Universität Berlin, Institut für Experimentalphysik, Arnimallee 14, D-14195 Berlin, Germany
Correspondence to: W. Kuch1,2 e-mail: kuch@physik.fu-berlin.de
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