FCC structured ferromagnetic ultra-thin films with two spin layers described by fourth order perturbed Heisenberg Hamiltonian

TL;DR

This study uses fourth order perturbation theory to analyze magnetic energy variations and easy axis orientations in fcc structured ferromagnetic thin films with two spin layers, revealing how anisotropy constants influence magnetic properties.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed analysis of magnetic energy and anisotropy effects in two-layer ferromagnetic films using fourth order perturbation, which is a novel approach for such systems.

Findings

Magnetic energy peaks decrease then increase with stress-induced anisotropy.

Easy and hard magnetic directions are not orthogonal.

Higher top layer anisotropy shifts magnetic easy and hard directions.

Abstract

Fourth order perturbation was applied to study a small variation of the azimuthal angle of spin of fcc structured ferromagnetic thin films with two spin layers. The variation of magnetic energy and the orientation of magnetic easy axis with the fourth order magnetic anisotropy constant in two spin layers was investigated. When the second order magnetic anisotropy constant at the top spin layer is higher than that of bottom spin layer, the total magnetic energy is slightly higher. Some spikes appeared in the 2D plot of of magnetic energy versus azimuthal angle of spin. According to the 3D plots, the peak value of the magnetic energy gradually decreases with the increase of the stress induced anisotropy constant, and thereafter the peak value of the magnetic energy gradually increases with the increase of the stress induced anisotropy constant. The angle between magnetic easy and hard directions was not 90 degrees. The magnetic easy and hard directions of the film with a higher second order magnetic anisotropy constant of top layer are different from the magnetic easy and hard directions of the film with a lower second order magnetic anisotropy constant of top layer. When the second order magnetic anisotropy constant of the bottom layer is increased, the total magnetic energy does not change.