Magnetic Depth Profiling Co/Cu Multilayers to Investigate Magnetoresistance

Published

May 1, 2000

Author(s)

John Unguris, D Tulchinsky, Michael H. Kelley, Julie A. Borchers, Joseph A. Dura, Charles F. Majkrzak, S. Y. Hsu, R Loloee, W Pratt, J Bass

Abstract

The magnetic microstructure responsible for the metastable high resistance state of weakly coupled, as-prepared [Co(6nm)/Cu(6nm)]₂₀ multilayer was analyzed using polarized neutron reflectivity (PNR) and scanning electron microscopy with polarization analysis (SEMPA). This paper focuses and expands on the SEMPA measurements. In multilayer structures such as these, SEMPA can be combined with ion milling to directly image the layer-by-layer magnetization and quantitatively depth profile the interlayer magnetic domain correlations. We found that in the as-prepared Co/Cu multilayer the domains are about one micrometer in size and the magnetizations in adjacent layers are almost completly oppositely aligned. The relative magnetoresitance derived from this measured degree of anticorrelation is in agreement with the measured magnetoresistance.

Citation

Journal of Applied Physics

Volume

87

Issue

9

Pub Type

Journals

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Keywords

Co, Cu, domain correlation, GMR, magnetoresistance, multilayers, neutron, SEMPA

Citation

Unguris, J. , Tulchinsky, D. , Kelley, M. , Borchers, J. , Dura, J. , Majkrzak, C. , Hsu, S. , Loloee, R. , Pratt, W. and Bass, J. (2000), Magnetic Depth Profiling Co/Cu Multilayers to Investigate Magnetoresistance, Journal of Applied Physics, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=620521 (Accessed April 20, 2024)