TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of surface oxidation on the exchange-bias properties of the single-crystal antiferromagnetic/ferromagnetic junction Mn/Co/Cu(001)
AU - Caminale, M.
AU - Moroni, R.
AU - Torelli, P.
AU - Panaccione, G.
AU - Lin, W. C.
AU - Canepa, M.
AU - Mattera, L.
AU - Bisio, F.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 American Physical Society.
PY - 2015/3/31
Y1 - 2015/3/31
N2 - The effects of a chemical alteration of the antiferromagnet surface in the exchange-biased ultrathin epitaxial antiferromagnetic/ferromagnetic bilayer Mn/Co/Cu(001) have been investigated. The formation of a nanometer-thick paramagnetic oxide at the surface of the Mn layer was induced through the controlled exposure to oxygen. Although the buried Mn/Co interface was not affected by the oxidation, strong changes of the exchange-bias properties of the system, which cannot be accounted for by the mere reduction of the antiferromagnetic Mn thickness, were observed. We propose that the produced surface modification affects the magnetic configuration of the near-surface region and the domain structure in the whole antiferromagnet layer which, in turn, influences the pinned uncompensated spin density responsible for the exchange bias.
AB - The effects of a chemical alteration of the antiferromagnet surface in the exchange-biased ultrathin epitaxial antiferromagnetic/ferromagnetic bilayer Mn/Co/Cu(001) have been investigated. The formation of a nanometer-thick paramagnetic oxide at the surface of the Mn layer was induced through the controlled exposure to oxygen. Although the buried Mn/Co interface was not affected by the oxidation, strong changes of the exchange-bias properties of the system, which cannot be accounted for by the mere reduction of the antiferromagnetic Mn thickness, were observed. We propose that the produced surface modification affects the magnetic configuration of the near-surface region and the domain structure in the whole antiferromagnet layer which, in turn, influences the pinned uncompensated spin density responsible for the exchange bias.
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U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevB.91.094435
DO - 10.1103/PhysRevB.91.094435
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84928812053
SN - 1098-0121
VL - 91
JO - Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics
JF - Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics
IS - 9
M1 - 094435
ER -