Magnetostrictive thin films of FeGa (galfenol) are the subject of current investigations owing to their applicative potential, e.g. for magnetoelastic sensor devices or microwave spintronics. In this work, we study the magnetic properties of an epitaxial Fe0.8Ga0.2 film with thickness D=65 nm, using different experimental techniques (MFM, VSM, XRMS), micromagnetic simulations, and theoretical models. The moderate competition (i.e., with quality factor Q=Ku/Kd=0.34<1) between the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy energy (Ku =4.2 10^6 erg/cm3) and the easy-plane magnetic dipole-dipole interaction (Kd=2πMs2=1.2 10^7 erg/cm3) leads, for D larger than a critical value (Dc=35 nm), to the onset of a magnetic stripe domain structure. Namely, the out-of-plane component of the magnetization is modulated, with a period P=90-100 nm, while the in-plane magnetization component is uniform and rather large. In this sample, the domain pattern has the peculiar property (known for decades as "rotatable anisotropy") that the direction of the stripes axis coincides with the direction of the last saturating field, Hsat, applied parallel to the film surface. In contrast, the magneto-crystalline in-plane anisotropy was found to be negligible.

Rotation of Magnetic Stripe Domains in Fe1-xGax Thin Films

BISERO, Diego;FIN, Samuele;
2015

Abstract

Magnetostrictive thin films of FeGa (galfenol) are the subject of current investigations owing to their applicative potential, e.g. for magnetoelastic sensor devices or microwave spintronics. In this work, we study the magnetic properties of an epitaxial Fe0.8Ga0.2 film with thickness D=65 nm, using different experimental techniques (MFM, VSM, XRMS), micromagnetic simulations, and theoretical models. The moderate competition (i.e., with quality factor Q=Ku/Kd=0.34<1) between the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy energy (Ku =4.2 10^6 erg/cm3) and the easy-plane magnetic dipole-dipole interaction (Kd=2πMs2=1.2 10^7 erg/cm3) leads, for D larger than a critical value (Dc=35 nm), to the onset of a magnetic stripe domain structure. Namely, the out-of-plane component of the magnetization is modulated, with a period P=90-100 nm, while the in-plane magnetization component is uniform and rather large. In this sample, the domain pattern has the peculiar property (known for decades as "rotatable anisotropy") that the direction of the stripes axis coincides with the direction of the last saturating field, Hsat, applied parallel to the film surface. In contrast, the magneto-crystalline in-plane anisotropy was found to be negligible.
2015
978-88-8080-188-7
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11392/2336796
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