Modified Magnetism at a BuriedCo/PdInterface Resolved with X-Ray Standing Waves

Abstract

Soft x-ray standing waves produced by a multilayer interference substrate add depth sensitivity to magnetic circular dichroism to resolve changes in Co magnetism across a 1 nm distance from the Co center to the Co-on-Pd interface of a Pd/Co/Pd trilayer with an in-plane magnetization. Large enhancements of the number of Co d holes, and of in-plane orbital and spin magnetic moments, are strongly localized at a thin, chemically modified interface layer. These results provide new insight into magnetic anisotropy at interfaces, and suggest a broad applicability of such standing wave measurements to interface magnetism studies.

Soft x-ray resonant Kerr rotation measurement and simulation of element-resolved and interface-sensitive magnetization reversals in a NiFe∕FeMn∕Co trilayer structure

“…The magnetically distinct regions at AF/F interfaces can be formed due to the proximity effect in various hybrid systems. 20,21 For instance, a photoemission electron microscopy study revealed a chemical change at a Co/ NiO interface. 8 Such proximity effect at F/AF interfaces and sufficiently large t UC has been ignored in the explanation of significantly reduced experimental values of H eb .…”

Neutron scattering studies of nanomagnetism and artificially structured materials

“…Resonant hard and soft X-ray techniques have also been used to detect enhanced interfacial moments in layered systems [51,71].…”

Resolving magnetic and chemical correlations in CoPtCr films using soft X-ray resonant scattering

“…Soft x-ray Faraday (transmission) and Kerr (reflection) geometry measurements involve forward and specular scattered beams, respectively, and thus provide information averaging over in-plane magnetic and chemical structure. Even so, these techniques can provide depth-resolution with nm and sub-nm resolution in various ways: tuning to a core level of an ultrathin chemical marker layer is one approach [3]; another is to radically alter the skin depth by tuning across a strong L 3 white line [4]; and yet another uses strong interference from interfaces in multilayer films as a tunable depth probe across buried interfaces [5].…”