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Modification of magnetic properties in Tb–Fe/Gd–Fe/Tb–Fe trilayer using ion-beam irradiation

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Abstract

This paper presents the modifications of the magnetic properties of Tb–Fe/Gd–Fe/Tb–Fe trilayer, displaying perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in the pristine state. Irradiation with Ar+ ions at a constant fluence of 1014 ions/cm2 with variable incident energies, in the range of 50–150 keV, corresponding to different penetration depths inside the trilayer films, was employed to obtain the tunability in magnetic properties of the trilayer assembly. A spin reorientation transition from perpendicular to the plane of the film could be ascertained even for the lowest energy of irradiation without any major structural modification. The isolated island-like larger magnetic domains, observed for the pristine films, no longer appeared after irradiation. The modifications of magnetic domains and hysteresis loops were understood using micromagnetic simulations, considering the depth-resolved variation of magnetic anisotropies of the top and middle layers. Our work shows a facile route to process anisotropy-engineered magnetic heterostructures using depth-sensitive external perturbation.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge Inter University Accelerator Centre, New Delhi, India, for providing beamtime at the low energy ion-beam facility (LEIBF) beamline. The financial support was provided by the Science and Engineering Research Board, India, through the grant EMR/2016/006794 and Naval Research Board-Defence Research and Development Organization, India, through the grant NRB/4003/PG/430.

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Author notes

  1. Ajit Kumar Sahoo and Abhishek Talapatra have contributed equally.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nanomagnetism and Microscopy Laboratory, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Kandi, Sangareddy, Telangana, 502285, India

    Ajit Kumar Sahoo, Abhishek Talapatra & Jyoti Mohanty

  2. Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory, Hyderabad, 500058, India

    Jeyaramane Arout Chelvane

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  1. Ajit Kumar Sahoo
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Sahoo, A.K., Talapatra, A., Chelvane, J.A. et al. Modification of magnetic properties in Tb–Fe/Gd–Fe/Tb–Fe trilayer using ion-beam irradiation. Appl. Phys. A 128, 233 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-022-05361-y

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