Interfacial Perpendicular Magnetic Anisotropy of Ultrathin Fe(001) Film Grown on CoO(001) Surface

TL;DR

This study demonstrates a new ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic bilayer system with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, revealing interfacial effects and domain coupling behaviors, advancing the understanding of FM/AFM interactions for memory device applications.

Contribution

It introduces a novel FM/AFM bilayer system exhibiting PMA and explores interfacial coupling and domain behaviors using advanced optical techniques.

Findings

PMA is interfacial and inversely proportional to Fe thickness

Negligible effect of CoO antiferromagnetism on PMA

Coupling between FM and AFM domains varies near spin reorientation

Abstract

Exploring novel systems with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) is vital for advancing memory devices. In this study, we report an intriguing PMA system involving an ultrathin Fe layer on an antiferromagnetic (AFM) CoO(001) surface. The measured perpendicular anisotropy field is inversely proportional to the Fe thickness, indicating an interfacial origin of PMA. Temperature-dependent measurements reveal that the antiferromagnetism of CoO has a negligible effect on the PMA. By leveraging the magneto-optical Kerr effect and birefringence effect, we achieved concurrent visualization of ferromagnetic (FM) and AFM domains. A pronounced coupling effect between these domains was observed near the spin reorientation transition, contrasting sharply with areas of stronger PMA that exhibited weak coupling. This research not only establishes a new FM/AFM bilayer PMA system but also significantly advances the understanding of FM/AFM interfacial interactions.