The influence of interfacial roughness on the coherence of structure and magnetic coupling across barriers in Fe/MgO multilayers

DOI: 10.1088/0953-8984/22/22/226004

Authors: R. Fan (ISIS) , S. J. Lee (University of Liverpool) , J. P. Goff (Royal Holloway University of London) , R. C. C. Ward (University of Oxford) , S. G. Wang (University of Oxford) , A. Kohn (University of Oxford) , C. Wang (University of Oxford) , A. R. Wildes (Institut Laue-Langevin) , S. P. Collins (Diamond Light Source)
Co-authored by industrial partner: No

Type: Journal Paper
Journal: Journal Of Physics: Condensed Matter , VOL 22 (2) , PAGES 226004

State: Published (Approved)
Published: May 2010

Abstract: Single-crystal Fe/MgO multilayers are model systems in which to study magnetic tunnel junctions. We find that the interfacial roughness leads to the loss of coherence of the crystal structure. For thick MgO layers ferromagnetic (FM) ordering is found using polarized neutron reflectivity (PNR). For thin MgO layers magnetization measurements reveal the presence of antiferromagnetic (AF) interactions, but no long-range AF order is found using PNR. After cycling in a hysteresis loop, FM correlations are found at the coercive point, and this will limit the maximum tunnelling magnetoresistance.

Subject Areas: Physics, Materials


Instruments: I16-Materials and Magnetism

Added On: 14/07/2010 10:17

Discipline Tags:

Quantum Materials Physics Hard condensed matter - structures Magnetism Materials Science

Technical Tags:

Diffraction X-ray Reflectivity (XRR)