Magnetization Reversal in Ultrathin Films with Monolayer-Scale Surface Roughness

      A. Moschel, R. A. Hyman, and A. Zangwill 
      School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332

      M. D. Stiles 
      Electron Physics Group, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899

Received 15 April 1996

The intrinsic anisotropy of nominally flat, ultrathin ferromagnetic films typically is augmented by a uniaxial anisotropy at step edges. We report model calculations of hysteresis for such systems with
in-plane magnetization and monolayer-scale roughness. The reversal process is a combination of domain nucleation at step edges, expansion of these domains through morphological constrictions,
and coherent rotation within domains. The initiation of reversal at well separated step edges can explain the very small coercive fields measured for real ultrathin magnetic films.

©1996 The American Physical Society

URL: http://publish.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v77/p3653
PACS: 75.70.-i, 75.60.-d
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#2001.03.14: Elmeleti, erdekes:
PT Journal
AU Moschel, A
   Hyman, RA
   Zangwill, A
   Stiles, MD
TI Magnetization reversal in ultrathin films with monolayer-scale
   surface roughness
SO PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS
AB The intrinsic anisotropy of nominally flat, ultrathin
   ferromagnetic films typically is augmented by a uniaxial
   anisotropy at step edges. We report model calculations of
   hysteresis for such systems with inplane magnetization and
   monolayer-scale roughness. The reversal process: is,a
   combination of domain nucleation at step edges, expansion of
   these domains through morphological constrictions, and coherent
   rotation within domains. The initiation of reversal at well
   separated step edges can explain the very small coercive fields
   measured for real ultrathin magnetic films.
TC 18
BP 3653
EP 3656
PG 4
JI Phys. Rev. Lett.
PY 1996
PD OCT 21
VL 77
IS 17
GA VM890
J9 PHYS REV LETT
UT ISI:A1996VM89000042
ER