arXiv subjects

Arun Singh Dev

Publications and source records attributed to Arun Singh Dev.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Observation of large perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and excessive polar magneto-optical effect in Pt/CoFeB/Ru tri-layer system

Heterostructures comprising ferromagnet (FM) and heavy metals (HM) with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) and interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (iDMI) can host chiral domain walls and topological spin textures, making them highly promising for various spintronics applications. In this paper, we have investigated the magneto-optical properties, the anomalous Hall effect (AHE), and PMA of Pt/CoFeB/Ru multilayers engineered to possess significant iDMI. We utilized the Anomalous Hall effect (AHE), and the polar magneto-optical Kerr effect (p-MOKE), Hall response and the domain wall motion in Pt/CoFeB/Ru-systems. Both MOKE and AHE measurements confirm that the films maintain strong perpendicular magnetization for CoFeB thicknesses below 1.2 nm. The effective magnetic anisotropy K_{\mathrm{eff}} of 0.88 \times 10^6 erg/cm^3 has been achieved without any post-annealing, highlighting the high-quality interface in this multilayer design. The angular dependence of the switching field deviates from the conventional Kondorsky model and is well described using a modified Kondorsky formalism, capturing the role of field-induced domain-wall softening and pinning effects in the reversal process. Furthermore, p-MOKE microscopy imaging during the magnetization reversal process provides detailed insight into domain nucleation and subsequent domain-wall propagation. The observations reveal well-defined, stable magnetic domains that evolve coherently under the applied magnetic field. Such a behavior is expected in the system where interfacial DMI, PMA interact to stabilize the chiral N\'eel-type domain walls, which are essential for fast, low-power domain-wall motion driven by spin-orbit torques.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

Role of stress/strain in tailoring the magnetic and transport properties of magnetic thin films and multilayers

Magnetic anisotropy is a fundamental property of magnetic materials that determines the alignment of the spins along the preferential direction, called the easy axis of magnetization. Magnetic polycrystalline thin films offer several advantages over magnetic epitaxial thin films because of fabrication flexibility, higher coercivity and improved magnetic stability, higher magnetoresistance (useful in magneto-resistive devices such as magnetic field sensors and MRAM cells), cost-effectiveness and thermal stability, etc. In the case of polycrystalline thin films or multilayers, Magneto-crystalline anisotropy (MCA) is not expected due to the random orientation of grains. Therefore, understanding the origin of uniaxial magnetic anisotropy (UMA) is generally difficult and can't be understood in terms of crystal orientation. The origin of UMA in polycrystalline films is often related to the preparation conditions and substrate properties. In the present thesis, we have provided direct in-situ real-time evidence of the stress dependence of magnetic anisotropy through the multibeam optical stress sensor (MOSS) technique. Also, we have tuned the magnetic anisotropy in strength and direction using externally applied stress. To further increase the strength of the magnetic anisotropy, we have developed a new technique that creates a multilayer using a single magnetic material through sequential oblique and normal depositions. This oblique angle deposition technique also helps reduce the penetration of the top ferromagnetic layer inside the organic semiconductor layer in organic spin valve structures. We confirm our results through various in-situ (in UHV and HV) and ex-situ temperature-dependent conventional and unconventional structural, morphological, and magnetic measurements (both lab-based and synchrotron-based) that include MOKE, KERR, GIXRD, AFM, RHEED, and GISAXS, etc. measurements.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2023

Asymmetric magnetism at the interfaces of MgO/FeCoB bilayers by exchanging the order of MgO and FeCoB

Interfaces in FeCoB/MgO/FeCoB magnetic tunnel junction play a vital role in controlling their magnetic and transport properties for various applications in spintronics and magnetic recording media. In this work, interface structures of a few nm thick FeCoB layers in FeCoB/MgO and MgO/FeCoB bilayers are comprehensively studied using x-ray standing waves (XSW) generated by depositing bilayers between Pt waveguide structures. High interface selectivity of nuclear resonance scattering (NRS) under the XSW technique allowed measuring structure and magnetism at the two interfaces, namely FeCoB-on-MgO and MgO-on-FeCoB, yielding an interesting result that electron density and hyperfine fields are not symmetric at both interfaces. The formation of a high-density FeCoB layer at the MgO/FeCoB (FeCoB-on-MgO) interface with an increased hyperfine field (~34.65 T) is attributed to the increasing volume of FeCo at the interface due to boron diffusion from 57FeCoB to the MgO layer. Furthermore, it caused unusual angular-dependent magnetic properties in MgO/FeCoB bilayer, whereas FeCoB/MgO is magnetically isotropic. In contrast to the literature, where the unusual angular dependent in FeCoB based system is explained in terms of in-plane magnetic anisotropy, present findings attributed the same to the interlayer exchange coupling between bulk and interface layer within the FeCoB layer.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2023

Significantly increased magnetic anisotropy in Co nano-columnar multilayer structure via a unique sequential oblique-normal deposition approach

Oblique/normal sequential deposition technique is used to create Co based unique multilayer structure [Co-oblique(4.4nm)/Co-normal (4.2 nm)]x10, where each Co-oblique layer is deposited at an oblique angle of 75deg, to induce large in-plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy (UMA). Compared to the previous ripple, stress and oblique angle deposition (OAD) related studies on Cobalt in literature, one-order higher UMA with the easy axis of magnetization along the projection of the tilted nano-columns in the multilayer plane is observed. The multilayer retains magnetic anisotropy even after annealing at 450C. The in-plane UMA in this multilayer is found to be the combination of shape, and magneto-crystalline anisotropy (MCA) confirmed by the temperature-dependent grazing incidence small angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS), in situ reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) measurements. The crystalline texturing of hcp Co in the multilayer minimizes spin-orbit coupling energy along the column direction, which couples with the shape anisotropy energies and results in preferential orientation of the easy magnetic axis along the projection of the columns in the multilayer plane. Reduction in UMA after annealing is attributed to diffusion/merging of columns and annihilating crystallographic texturing. The obtained one-order high UMA demonstrates the potential application of the unique structure engineering technique, which may have far-reaching advantages in magnetic thin films/multilayers and spintronic devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2023

Evolution of interface magnetism in Fe/Alq3 bilayer

Interface magnetism and topological structure of Fe on organic semiconductor film (Alq3) have been studied and compared with Fe film deposited directly on Si (100) substrate. To get information on the diffused Fe layer at the Fe/Alq3 interface, grazing incident nuclear resonance scattering (GINRS) measurements are made depth selective by introducing a 95% enriched thin 57Fe layer at the Interface and producing x-ray standing wave within the layered structure. Compared with Fe growth on Si substrate, where film exhibits a hyperfine field value of 32 T (Bulk Fe), a thick Fe- Alq3 interface has been found with reduced electron density and hyperfine fields providing evidence of deep penetration of Fe atoms into Alq3 film. Due to the soft nature of Alq3, Fe moments relax in the film plane. At the same time, Fe on Si has a resultant ~43 deg out-of-plane orientation of Fe moments at the Interface due to the stressed and rough Fe layer near Si. The evolution of magnetism at the Fe-Alq3 Interface is monitored using in-situ magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) during the growth of Fe on the Alq3 surface and small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements. It is found that the Fe atom tries to organize into clusters to minimize their surface/interface energy. The origin of the 2.4 nm thick magnetic dead layer at the Interface is attributed to the small Fe clusters of paramagnetic or superparamagnetic nature. The present work provides an understanding of interfacial magnetism at metal-organic interfaces and the topological study using the GI-NRS technique, which is made depth selective to probe magnetism of the diffused ferromagnetic layer, which is otherwise difficult for lab-based techniques.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

Enhancing the limit of uniaxial magnetic anisotropy induced by ion beam erosion

The artificial tailoring of magnetic anisotropy by manipulation of interfacial morphology and film structure are of fundamental interest from application point of view in spintronic and magnetic memory devices. This letter reports an approach of engineering and enhancing the strength of oblique incidence ion beam erosion (IBE) induced in-plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy (UMA) by simultaneous modification of film morphology as well as film texture. To meet this objective, Cobalt film and Si substrate have been taken as a model system. Unlike conventional post growth IBE of film, we direct our effort to the sequential deposition and subsequent IBE of the film. Detailed in-situ investigation insights that the film grows in highly biaxially textured polycrystalline state with formation of nanometric surface ripples. The film also exhibits pronounced UMA with easy axis oriented parallel to the surface ripple direction. Remarkably, the induced UMA is about one order of magnitude larger than the reported similar kind of earlier studies. The possibility of imposing in-plane crystallographic texture giving rise to magneto-crystalline anisotropy, along with long-range dipolar interaction throughout ripple crests enhances the strength of the UMA. The present findings can be further extended to systems characterized by different crystallographic structure and magnetic properties and show the general applicability of the present method.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗