Exchange bias and asymmetric magnetization reversal in ultrathin Fe films grown on GaAs (001) substrates

K. Tivakornsasithorn; A. M. Alsmadi; X. Liu; J. C. Leiner; Y. Choi; D. J. Keavney; K. F. Eid; M. Dobrowolska; J. K. Furdyna

doi:10.1063/1.4798515

Exchange bias and asymmetric magnetization reversal in ultrathin Fe films grown on GaAs (001) substrates

K. Tivakornsasithorn, A. M. Alsmadi, X. Liu, J. C. Leiner, Y. Choi, D. J. Keavney, K. F. Eid, M. Dobrowolska, J. K. Furdyna

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9 Scopus citations

Abstract

Magnetization measurements on a series of Fe films grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs (001) substrates and capped with a thin Au layer reveal interesting exchange bias (EB) properties at low temperatures. The observed exchange bias decreases rapidly with increasing temperature, and completely disappears above 30 K. While the Fe samples were not grown with an intentionally deposited antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer, X-ray reflectometry, X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy carried out near the L-edge of Fe, and comparison with similar Fe/GaAs samples capped with Al, which do not show exchange bias, suggest that the exchange bias in the GaAs/Fe/Au multilayers is caused by an AFM Fe oxide at the Fe/Au interface formed by penetration of oxygen through the Au capping layer. The observed exchange bias is accompanied by a strikingly asymmetric magnetization reversal of the Fe films occurring when the magnetic field is applied at angles away from the easy axis of the film. The observed asymmetry can be interpreted in terms of a competition between cubic, uniaxial, and unidirectional magnetic anisotropy characteristic of the exchange-biased Fe film.

Original language	English
Article number	133908
Journal	Journal of Applied Physics
Volume	113
Issue number	13
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4798515
State	Published - Apr 7 2013
Externally published	Yes

Funding

The work at Notre Dame was supported by the National Science Foundation Grant DMR10-05851. Use of the Advanced Photon Source, an Office of Science User Facility operated for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science by Argonne National Laboratory, was supported by the U.S. DOE under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357. The Hashemite University provided partial support for this research.

Funders	Funder number
National Science Foundation	DMR10-05851, 1005851
U.S. Department of Energy	DE-AC02-06CH11357
Office of Science
Argonne National Laboratory

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title = "Exchange bias and asymmetric magnetization reversal in ultrathin Fe films grown on GaAs (001) substrates",

abstract = "Magnetization measurements on a series of Fe films grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs (001) substrates and capped with a thin Au layer reveal interesting exchange bias (EB) properties at low temperatures. The observed exchange bias decreases rapidly with increasing temperature, and completely disappears above 30 K. While the Fe samples were not grown with an intentionally deposited antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer, X-ray reflectometry, X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy carried out near the L-edge of Fe, and comparison with similar Fe/GaAs samples capped with Al, which do not show exchange bias, suggest that the exchange bias in the GaAs/Fe/Au multilayers is caused by an AFM Fe oxide at the Fe/Au interface formed by penetration of oxygen through the Au capping layer. The observed exchange bias is accompanied by a strikingly asymmetric magnetization reversal of the Fe films occurring when the magnetic field is applied at angles away from the easy axis of the film. The observed asymmetry can be interpreted in terms of a competition between cubic, uniaxial, and unidirectional magnetic anisotropy characteristic of the exchange-biased Fe film.",

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AU - Alsmadi, A. M.

AU - Liu, X.

AU - Leiner, J. C.

AU - Choi, Y.

AU - Keavney, D. J.

AU - Eid, K. F.

AU - Dobrowolska, M.

AU - Furdyna, J. K.

PY - 2013/4/7

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N2 - Magnetization measurements on a series of Fe films grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs (001) substrates and capped with a thin Au layer reveal interesting exchange bias (EB) properties at low temperatures. The observed exchange bias decreases rapidly with increasing temperature, and completely disappears above 30 K. While the Fe samples were not grown with an intentionally deposited antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer, X-ray reflectometry, X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy carried out near the L-edge of Fe, and comparison with similar Fe/GaAs samples capped with Al, which do not show exchange bias, suggest that the exchange bias in the GaAs/Fe/Au multilayers is caused by an AFM Fe oxide at the Fe/Au interface formed by penetration of oxygen through the Au capping layer. The observed exchange bias is accompanied by a strikingly asymmetric magnetization reversal of the Fe films occurring when the magnetic field is applied at angles away from the easy axis of the film. The observed asymmetry can be interpreted in terms of a competition between cubic, uniaxial, and unidirectional magnetic anisotropy characteristic of the exchange-biased Fe film.

AB - Magnetization measurements on a series of Fe films grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs (001) substrates and capped with a thin Au layer reveal interesting exchange bias (EB) properties at low temperatures. The observed exchange bias decreases rapidly with increasing temperature, and completely disappears above 30 K. While the Fe samples were not grown with an intentionally deposited antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer, X-ray reflectometry, X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy carried out near the L-edge of Fe, and comparison with similar Fe/GaAs samples capped with Al, which do not show exchange bias, suggest that the exchange bias in the GaAs/Fe/Au multilayers is caused by an AFM Fe oxide at the Fe/Au interface formed by penetration of oxygen through the Au capping layer. The observed exchange bias is accompanied by a strikingly asymmetric magnetization reversal of the Fe films occurring when the magnetic field is applied at angles away from the easy axis of the film. The observed asymmetry can be interpreted in terms of a competition between cubic, uniaxial, and unidirectional magnetic anisotropy characteristic of the exchange-biased Fe film.

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Exchange bias and asymmetric magnetization reversal in ultrathin Fe films grown on GaAs (001) substrates

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