Magnetic properties of epitaxial Fe/MgO/InAs(001) thin films

Abstract

The magnetic properties of epitaxial Fe/MgO/InAs(001) thin films are examined, both experimentally and theoretically, and magnetic parameters are extracted by comparing an experimental hysteresis loop with a theoretical one calculated using a total energy equation. Out-of-plane hysteresis loops, measured along various magnetic field directions, indicate the formation of the uniaxial magnetic anisotropy at 30 degrees from the normal of the film plane. The strength of the first-order cubic magnetocrystalline anisotropy is determined to be 6 x 10(4) erg/cm(3), which is an order of magnitude weaker than that of bulk Fe, probably because of a large lattice mismatch between Fe and MgO (similar to 4.2%). The strength of the uniaxial magnetic anisotropy (9.6 x 10(4) erg/cm(3)) is on the same order of magnitude as that of the magnetocrystalline anisotropy. The parameters extracted from the out-of-plane hysteresis loop are then used to calculate the remanence ratios of in-plane hysteresis loops along various magnetic field directions. Good agreement is observed between the two sets of results, indicating the reliability of the extracted parameters. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.