Influence of a Dy overlayer on the precessional dynamics of a ferromagnetic thin film

Marcham, M. K.; Yu, W.; Keatley, P. S.; Shelford, L. R.; Shafer, P.; Cavill, S. A.; Qing, H.; Neudert, A.; Childress, J. R.; Katine, J. A.; Arenholz, E.; Telling, N. D.; van der Laan, G.; Hicken, R. J.

Abstract

Precessional dynamics of a Co50Fe50(0.7)/Ni90Fe10(5)/Dy(1)/Ru(3) (thicknesses in nm) thin film have been explored by low temperature time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect and phase-resolved x-ray ferromagnetic resonance measurements. As the temperature was decreased from 300 to 140 K, the magnetic damping was found to increase rapidly while the resonance field was strongly reduced. Static x-ray magnetic circular dichroism measurements revealed increasing ferromagnetic order of the Dy moment antiparallel to that of Co50Fe50/Ni90Fe10. Increased coupling of the Dy orbital moment to the precessing spin magnetization leads to significantly increased damping and gyromagnetic ratio of the film while leaving its magnetic anisotropy effectively unchanged.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Online Publication Date: Feb 15, 2013
• Publication Date: Feb 11, 2013
• Deposit Date: Jun 12, 2023
• Journal: Applied Physics Letters
• Print ISSN: 0003-6951
• Electronic ISSN: 1077-3118
• Publisher: AIP Publishing
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 102
• Issue: 6
• Pages: 062418
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4792740
• Keywords: Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous), Magnetic anisotropy, Magnetic ordering, Waveguides, Electrodynamics, X-ray magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopy, Ferromagnetic resonance, Thin films, Gyromagnetic ratio, Magnetooptical effects, Spin valves