We have investigated the growth of surface nanostructures on a Co/Cu(001) film and the growth of Co films on a nanostructured Cu(001) substrate as well as the effect of nanoscale pattern formation on the film magnetic properties. Here we demonstrate by scanning tunneling microscopy measurements and magneto-optic Kerr effect hysteresis curves that low-temperature grazing-incidence ion sputtering can be used to induce the formation of nanoscale ripples which reduce the four-fold symmetry of the Co film to two-fold, thus generating a strong in-plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy. The nanostructures and the associated uniaxial magnetic anisotropy were found to be stable up to room temperature.
Uniaxial magnetic anisotropy tuned by nanoscale ripple formation: ion-sculpting of Co/Cu(001) thin films
BUATIER DE MONGEOT, FRANCESCO;BORAGNO, CORRADO;MATTERA, LORENZO;VALBUSA, UGO
2004-01-01
Abstract
We have investigated the growth of surface nanostructures on a Co/Cu(001) film and the growth of Co films on a nanostructured Cu(001) substrate as well as the effect of nanoscale pattern formation on the film magnetic properties. Here we demonstrate by scanning tunneling microscopy measurements and magneto-optic Kerr effect hysteresis curves that low-temperature grazing-incidence ion sputtering can be used to induce the formation of nanoscale ripples which reduce the four-fold symmetry of the Co film to two-fold, thus generating a strong in-plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy. The nanostructures and the associated uniaxial magnetic anisotropy were found to be stable up to room temperature.
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