Control of antiferromagnetic spin axis orientation in bilayer Fe/CuMnAs films

Abstract

Using x-ray magnetic circular and linear dichroism techniques, we demonstrate a collinear exchange coupling between an epitaxial antiferromagnet, tetragonal CuMnAs, and an Fe surface layer. A small uncompensated Mn magnetic moment is observed which is antiparallel to the Fe magnetization. The staggered magnetization of the 5?nm thick CuMnAs layer is rotatable under small magnetic fields, due to the interlayer exchange coupling. This allows us to obtain the x-ray magnetic linear dichroism spectra for different crystalline orientations of CuMnAs in the (001) plane. This is a key parameter for enabling the understanding of domain structures in CuMnAs imaged using x-ray magnetic linear dichroism microscopy techniques.

Citation

Wadley, P., Edmonds, K., Shahedkhah, M., Campion, R., Gallagher, B., Železný, J., …Dhesi, S. (in press). Control of antiferromagnetic spin axis orientation in bilayer Fe/CuMnAs films. Scientific Reports, 7, Article 11147. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-11653-8

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 25, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Sep 11, 2017
• Deposit Date: Sep 25, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 25, 2017
• Journal: Scientific Reports
• Electronic ISSN: 2045-2322
• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 7
• Article Number: 11147
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-11653-8
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/882018
• Publisher URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-11653-8.pdf