Spin-orbit interaction tuning of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in L10 FePdPt films
Journal
Applied Physics Letters
Journal Volume
104
Journal Issue
19
Date Issued
2014
Author(s)
Abstract
The dependence of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy Ku on spin-orbit coupling strength ξ is investigated in L10 ordered FePd1−xPtx films by time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements and ab initio density functional calculations. Continuous tuning of Ku over a wide range of magnitude is realized by changing the Pt/Pd concentration ratio, which strongly modifies ξ but keeps other leading parameters affecting Ku nearly unchanged. Ab initio calculations predict a nearly quadratic dependence of Ku on ξ, consistent with experimental data. Ku increases with increasing chemical order and decreasing thermal spin fluctuations, which becomes more significant for samples with higher Pt concentration. The results demonstrate an effective method to tune Ku utilizing its sensitivity on ξ, which will help fabricate magnetic systems with desirable magnetic anisotropy.
Type
journal article