Large perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in epitaxial Fe/MgAl2O4(001) heterostructures. (1st June 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Xiang, Qingyi; Mandal, Ruma; Sukegawa, Hiroaki; Takahashi, Yukiko K.; Mitani, Seiji
• Is Part Of: Applied physics express. Volume 11:Number 6(2018)
• Publication Date: 2018-06-01
• Subjects: Physics -- Periodicals; Technology -- Periodicals; 621.05
• DOI: 10.7567/APEX.11.063008
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1882-0778

Abstract

Abstract: We investigated the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) and related properties of epitaxial Fe (0.7 nm)/MgAl2 O4 (001) heterostructures prepared by electron beam evaporation. Using an optimized structure, we obtained a large PMA energy of ∼1 MJ/m 3 at room temperature, which is comparable to that in ultrathin-Fe/MgO(001) heterostructures. Both the PMA energy and saturation magnetization showed a weak temperature dependence, ensuring a wide working temperature range in applications. The effective magnetic damping constant of the 0.7 nm Fe layer was found to be ∼0.02 using the time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect. This study demonstrated the suitability of the Fe/MgAl2 O4 heterostructure for use in perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions, as well as good agreement with theoretical predictions.