Interdiffusion in epitaxial ultrathin Co2FeAl/MgO heterostructures with interface-induced perpendicular magnetic anisotropy

Zhenchao Wen; Jason Paul Hadorn; Jun Okabayashi; Hiroaki Sukegawa; Tadakatsu Ohkubo; Koichiro Inomata; Seiji Mitani; Kazuhiro Hono

doi:10.7567/APEX.10.013003

Interdiffusion in epitaxial ultrathin Co₂FeAl/MgO heterostructures with interface-induced perpendicular magnetic anisotropy

Zhenchao Wen, Jason Paul Hadorn, Jun Okabayashi, Hiroaki Sukegawa, Tadakatsu Ohkubo, Koichiro Inomata, Seiji Mitani, Kazuhiro Hono

Center for Spintronics Research Network (CSRN)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

16 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The interfacial atomic structure of epitaxial ultrathin Co2FeAl/MgO(001) heterostructures, which is related to the interface-induced perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA), was investigated using scanning transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism. Al atoms from the Co2FeAl layer significantly interdiffused into MgO, forming an Al-deficient Co-Fe-Al/Mg-Al-O structure near the Co2FeAl/MgO interface. This atomic replacement may have enhanced the PMA, which is consistent with the observed large perpendicular orbital magnetic moments of Fe atoms at the interface. This work suggests that control of interdiffusion at ferromagnet/barrier interfaces is critical for designing an interface-induced PMA system.

Original language	English
Article number	013003
Journal	Applied Physics Express
Volume	10
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.7567/APEX.10.013003
Publication status	Published - 2017 Jan

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Engineering(all)
Physics and Astronomy(all)

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Interdiffusion in epitaxial ultrathin Co₂FeAl/MgO heterostructures with interface-induced perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. / Wen, Zhenchao; Hadorn, Jason Paul; Okabayashi, Jun; Sukegawa, Hiroaki; Ohkubo, Tadakatsu; Inomata, Koichiro; Mitani, Seiji; Hono, Kazuhiro.

In: Applied Physics Express, Vol. 10, No. 1, 013003, 01.2017.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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