Magnetic Order and Coupling Phenomena [recurso electrónico] A Study of Magnetic Structure and Magnetization Reversal Processes in Rare-Earth-Transition-Metal Based Alloys and Heterostructures

This thesis presents recent developments in magnetic coupling phenomena of ferrimagnetic rare-earth transition-metal Tb-Fe alloys and coupled systems consisting of ferri-/ferromagnetic heterostructures. Taking advantage of the tunability of the exchange coupling between ferrimagnetic and ferromagnetic layers by means of stoichiometry of the Tb-Fe layer, the variable number of repetitions in the Co/Pt multilayer as well as the thickness of an interlayer spacer, it is demonstrated that large perpendicular unidirectional anisotropy can be induced at room temperature. This robust perpendicular exchange bias at room temperature opens up a path towards applications in spintronics. Front Matter....Pages i-xxi Introduction....Pages 1-3 Thin Amorphous Fe–Tb Alloy Films....Pages 5-17 Co/Pt Multilayers....Pages 19-23 Exchange-Bias Effect in F/FI Rare-Earth-Transition-Metal Heterostructures....Pages 25-29 Experimental Techniques....Pages 31-50 Magnetic Order in Thin Fe $$_{100-x}$$ 100 - x Tb $$_{x}$$ x Films: A Temperature and Stoichiometry Dependent Study....Pages 51-76 Percolated Fe $$_{100-x}$$ 100 - x Tb $$_{x}$$ x Nanodot Arrays: Exchange Interaction and Magnetization Reversal....Pages 77-86 Interfacial Exchange Coupling in Heterostructures of Fe–Tb Alloy Films and Co/Pt Multilayers....Pages 87-108 Interlayer Exchange Coupling Through Pt Spacer Layers in Fe–Tb/Pt/[Co/Pt] Heterostructures....Pages 109-115 Conclusions....Pages 117-118 Back Matter....Pages 119-121