Layer-resolved real space imaging of domain wall interactions in magnetic tunnel junctions

Jan Vogel (1) , Salia Chérifi (2) , Stefania Pizzini (1) , Fabien Romanens (2) , Julio Camarero (3) , Frédéric Petroff (4) , Stefan Heun (5) , Andrea Locatelli (6)

1 NEEL - MNM - Micro et NanoMagnétisme
2 NEEL - Institut Néel
3 FMC - Departamento de Fisica de la Materia Condensada [Madrid]
4 Laboratoire Albert Fert (ex-UMPhy Unité mixte de physique CNRS/Thales)
5 TASC - Laboratorio Nazionale TASC
6 Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste

We have performed a layer-resolved, microscopic study of interactions between domain walls in two magnetic layers separated by a non-magnetic one, using high-resolution x-ray photoemission electron microscopy. Domain walls in the hard magnetic Co layer of a Co/Al2O3/FeNi trilayer with in-plane uniaxial anisotropy strongly modify the local magnetisation direction in the soft magnetic FeNi layer. Co domain walls parallel to the easy magnetisation axis induce `quasi-walls' in an initially saturated FeNi layer. Charged Co domain walls that are tilted with respect to the easy magnetisation axis favour a local antiparallel alignment of the magnetisation directions in the two magnetic layers.

Mots clés: magnetic domains; domain walls; magnetization dynamics; magnetic imaging; XMCD-PEEM

Domaines: Autre [cond-mat.other]

Jan Vogel, Salia Chérifi, Stefania Pizzini, Fabien Romanens, Julio Camarero, et al.. Layer-resolved real space imaging of domain wall interactions in magnetic tunnel junctions. 2007. ⟨hal-00133628v1⟩