Original Paper

Magnetic Domains and Anisotropy in Ultrathin Au/Co/Au Wedges Deposited on Mica Substrates

  1. M. Kisielewski1,
  2. Z. Kurant1,
  3. A. Maziewski1,
  4. M. Tekielak1,
  5. N. Spiridis2,
  6. J. Korecki2,†

Article first published online: 28 FEB 2002

DOI: 10.1002/1521-396X(200202)189:3<929::AID-PSSA929>3.0.CO;2-O

Issue

physica status solidi (a)

physica status solidi (a)

Volume 189, Issue 3, pages 929–933, February 2002

Additional Information

How to Cite

Kisielewski, M., Kurant, Z., Maziewski, A., Tekielak, M., Spiridis, N. and Korecki, J. (2002), Magnetic Domains and Anisotropy in Ultrathin Au/Co/Au Wedges Deposited on Mica Substrates. physica status solidi (a), 189: 929–933. doi: 10.1002/1521-396X(200202)189:3<929::AID-PSSA929>3.0.CO;2-O

Author Information

  1. 1

    Institute of Experimental Physics, University of Bialystok, Lipowa 41, PL-15-424 Bialystok, Poland

  2. 2

    Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Niezapominajek 8, PL-30-239 Krakow, Poland

  1. †

    Faculty of Physics and Nuclear Techniques, University of Mining and Metallurgy, Al. Mickiewicza 30, PL-30-059 Kraków, Poland

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 28 FEB 2002
  2. Article first published online: 28 FEB 2002
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 30 SEP 2001
  4. Manuscript Received: 1 MAY 2001

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Keywords:

  • 75.30.Gw;
  • 75.60.Ch;
  • 75.60.Ej;
  • 75.60.Jk;
  • 75.60.Lr;
  • 75.70.Ak;
  • S1.2;
  • S1.3

Abstract

Ultrathin cobalt films and wedges in gold envelope Au/Co(dCo < 2.5 nm)/Au(111), were deposited by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on mica. The topography of the Co layer (before covering with Au) and the influence of annealing were studied in-situ by scanning tunneling microscopy. Self-organization of the cobalt deposit in nanometer sized chains was observed. Magnetization processes and domain structure were studied ex-situ using the polar Kerr effect in both magnetooptical magnetometer and magnetooptical microscope. Two anisotropy constants K1 and K2 (> 0) were determined for samples with different thicknesses. Annealing induced in the sample: (i) flattening of the cobalt surface; (ii) a decrease of the coercivity field and magnetic anisotropy caused a decrease of thickness of reorientation from easy axis state to easy plane one; (iii) an increase of the Barkhausen volume which contains many cobalt “islands” creating the chains. Approaching the reorientation region, the character of the magnetization reversal drastically changes from that with the preference of domain wall propagation into the one connected to the domain wall nucleation.

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