Easy Axis orientation of Ferromagnetic Films as Described by Third Order Perturbed Heisenberg Hamiltonian

TL;DR

This study models the easy axis orientation of ferromagnetic films using a third order perturbed Heisenberg Hamiltonian, correlating theoretical predictions with experimental data on CoPt/AlN multilayer films.

Contribution

It introduces a theoretical approach employing third order perturbation to analyze magnetic anisotropy in ferromagnetic thin films, aligning with experimental observations.

Findings

Easy axis is in-plane at specific temperatures.

Spin reorientation temperature is sensitive to second order anisotropy.

The model matches experimental spin orientation data.

Abstract

The magnetic easy axis orientation was studied by the third order perturbed Heisenberg Hamiltonian. Ferromagnetic CoPt/AlN multilayer thin films with number of layers N=11, 16 and 21 synthesized on fused quartz substrates using dc magnetron sputtering technique have been employed as experimental data. According to experimental research performed by some other researchers, easy axis of these fcc structured ferromagnetic films is oriented in the plane of the film at one particular temperature. Average value of out of plane spin component was plotted against temperature in order to determine the spin reorientation temperature. The spin reorientation temperature was highly sensitive to 2nd order magnetic anisotropy constant.