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arXiv · 1503.00372

Interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction in perpendicularly-magnetized Pt/Co/AlO$_x$ ultrathin films measured by Brillouin light spectroscopy

Mohamed Belmeguenai·Jean-Paul Adam·Yves Roussigné·Sylvain Eimer·Thibaut Devolder·Joo-Von Kim·Salim Mourad Cherif·Andrey Stashkevich·André Thiaville
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Abstract

Spin waves in perpendicularly-magnetized Pt/Co/AlO$_x$/Pt ultrathin films with varying Co thicknesses (0.6-1.2 nm) have been studied with Brillouin light spectroscopy in the Damon-Eshbach geometry. The measurements reveal a pronounced nonreciprocal propagation, which increases with decreasing Co thicknesses. This nonreciprocity is attributed to an interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI), which is significantly stronger than asymmetries resulting from surface anisotropies for such modes. Results are consistent with an interfacial DMI constant $D_s = -1.7 \pm 0.11$ pJ/m, which favors left-handed chiral spin structures. This suggests that such films below 1 nm in thickness should support novel chiral states like skyrmions.

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Mohamed Belmeguenai, Jean-Paul Adam, Yves Roussigné, Sylvain Eimer, Thibaut Devolder, Joo-Von Kim, Salim Mourad Cherif, Andrey Stashkevich, André Thiaville. 2015-03-01. Interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction in perpendicularly-magnetized Pt/Co/AlO$_x$ ultrathin films measured by Brillouin light spectroscopy. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.91.180405

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