Antisymmetric interlayer exchange coupling spontaneously built in synthetic antiferromagnetic structure by film growth

TL;DR

This study reveals that antisymmetric interlayer exchange coupling (AIEC) naturally occurs in synthetic antiferromagnets depending on film growth conditions, with implications for designing advanced magnetic devices.

Contribution

It demonstrates how film growth parameters influence AIEC, showing that thickness fluctuations induce AIEC while epitaxial growth suppresses it, and highlights the role of oblique sputtering.

Findings

Thickness fluctuations induce AIEC.

Epitaxial growth suppresses AIEC.

Oblique sputtering enhances AIEC and its anisotropy.

Abstract

The antisymmetric-type long-range exchange interaction between two ferromagnetic layers through a nonmagnetic layer, called antisymmetric interlayer exchange coupling (AIEC), has recently been discovered and attracted much attention. This paper reports that the AIEC is naturally built in synthetic antiferromagnets depending on the thin film growth condition. For the synthetic antiferromagnets consisting of Pt/Co/Ir/Co/Pt layers, two kinds of film growth parameters are examined: the effects of epitaxial growth and oblique incident of sputter-deposition. The present results indicate that the spatial fluctuations in thicknesses are one of the major sources inducing the AIEC while the epitaxial growth, which leads to the sharp interfaces and the uniformity in layer thicknesses, effectively suppresses the unexpected AIEC. In addition, the oblique sputter-deposition provides the large AIEC and the anisotropic distribution of AIEC direction in the case of textured films. The findings in this study provide key factors for designing the AIEC and is useful to develop emerging computing technologies with artificial three-dimensional topological magnetic structures.