Exploring swift heavy ion-induced perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and tunnel magnetoresistance in CoFe2O4/MgO/ZnFe2O4 multilayers: X-ray magnetic circular dichroism study
Magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs), consisting of two ferromagnetic electrodes separated by an insulating layer, have been foundational in spintronics. This study expands the traditional MTJ framework by incorporating an antiferromagnetic electrode alongside a ferromagnetic one to elucidate the interp...
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AIP Publishing LLC
2025-03-01
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| Series: | AIP Advances |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/9.0000908 |
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| author | Ritika Charak Sanjeev Gautam Shaffy Garg Pardeep K. Thakur Navdeep Goyal Younghak Kim Keun Hwa Chae |
| author_facet | Ritika Charak Sanjeev Gautam Shaffy Garg Pardeep K. Thakur Navdeep Goyal Younghak Kim Keun Hwa Chae |
| author_sort | Ritika Charak |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs), consisting of two ferromagnetic electrodes separated by an insulating layer, have been foundational in spintronics. This study expands the traditional MTJ framework by incorporating an antiferromagnetic electrode alongside a ferromagnetic one to elucidate the interplay between perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) and tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR). Specifically, we investigate the relationship among spin-orbital magnetic moments, PMA, and TMR in pristine and Ag-irradiated (200 MeV) thin films of CoFe2O4 (40 nm)/MgO (20 nm)/ZnFe2O4 (40 nm). Angle-dependent soft X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD), together with element-specific hysteresis loops at the Fe L-edge, reveals that both the pristine and swift heavy ion (SHI)-multilayer stacks display magnetic anisotropy, characterized by a decreased XMCD intensity from out-of-plane (perpendicular) to in-plane (parallel) geometry. This reduction in the XMCD intensity correlates with spin polarization, establishing a direct relationship with the TMR of the MTJ. Furthermore, the analysis confirms that TMR decreases as the measurement angle decreases. Therefore, this investigation underscores the pivotal role of spin-orbital magnetic moments in influencing the PMA and TMR properties of CoFe2O4/MgO/ZnFe2O4 MTJs. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d0111c07b1fd475ca5d26c543fdd2d6f |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2158-3226 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | AIP Publishing LLC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | AIP Advances |
| spelling | doaj-art-d0111c07b1fd475ca5d26c543fdd2d6f2025-08-20T03:06:18ZengAIP Publishing LLCAIP Advances2158-32262025-03-01153035314035314-610.1063/9.0000908Exploring swift heavy ion-induced perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and tunnel magnetoresistance in CoFe2O4/MgO/ZnFe2O4 multilayers: X-ray magnetic circular dichroism studyRitika Charak0Sanjeev Gautam1Shaffy Garg2Pardeep K. Thakur3Navdeep Goyal4Younghak Kim5Keun Hwa Chae6Energy Research Centre, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, IndiaAdvanced Functional Materials Lab., Dr. S. S. Bhatnagar University Institute of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, IndiaDepartment of Physics, Panjab University Chandigarh, Chandigarh 160014, IndiaBeamline Division, Diamond Light Source Ltd., Oxfordshire, United KingdomDepartment of Physics, Panjab University Chandigarh, Chandigarh 160014, IndiaPohang Accelerator Laboratory, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 37673, Republic of KoreaAdvanced Analysis and Data Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of KoreaMagnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs), consisting of two ferromagnetic electrodes separated by an insulating layer, have been foundational in spintronics. This study expands the traditional MTJ framework by incorporating an antiferromagnetic electrode alongside a ferromagnetic one to elucidate the interplay between perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) and tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR). Specifically, we investigate the relationship among spin-orbital magnetic moments, PMA, and TMR in pristine and Ag-irradiated (200 MeV) thin films of CoFe2O4 (40 nm)/MgO (20 nm)/ZnFe2O4 (40 nm). Angle-dependent soft X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD), together with element-specific hysteresis loops at the Fe L-edge, reveals that both the pristine and swift heavy ion (SHI)-multilayer stacks display magnetic anisotropy, characterized by a decreased XMCD intensity from out-of-plane (perpendicular) to in-plane (parallel) geometry. This reduction in the XMCD intensity correlates with spin polarization, establishing a direct relationship with the TMR of the MTJ. Furthermore, the analysis confirms that TMR decreases as the measurement angle decreases. Therefore, this investigation underscores the pivotal role of spin-orbital magnetic moments in influencing the PMA and TMR properties of CoFe2O4/MgO/ZnFe2O4 MTJs.http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/9.0000908 |
| spellingShingle | Ritika Charak Sanjeev Gautam Shaffy Garg Pardeep K. Thakur Navdeep Goyal Younghak Kim Keun Hwa Chae Exploring swift heavy ion-induced perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and tunnel magnetoresistance in CoFe2O4/MgO/ZnFe2O4 multilayers: X-ray magnetic circular dichroism study AIP Advances |
| title | Exploring swift heavy ion-induced perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and tunnel magnetoresistance in CoFe2O4/MgO/ZnFe2O4 multilayers: X-ray magnetic circular dichroism study |
| title_full | Exploring swift heavy ion-induced perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and tunnel magnetoresistance in CoFe2O4/MgO/ZnFe2O4 multilayers: X-ray magnetic circular dichroism study |
| title_fullStr | Exploring swift heavy ion-induced perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and tunnel magnetoresistance in CoFe2O4/MgO/ZnFe2O4 multilayers: X-ray magnetic circular dichroism study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring swift heavy ion-induced perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and tunnel magnetoresistance in CoFe2O4/MgO/ZnFe2O4 multilayers: X-ray magnetic circular dichroism study |
| title_short | Exploring swift heavy ion-induced perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and tunnel magnetoresistance in CoFe2O4/MgO/ZnFe2O4 multilayers: X-ray magnetic circular dichroism study |
| title_sort | exploring swift heavy ion induced perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and tunnel magnetoresistance in cofe2o4 mgo znfe2o4 multilayers x ray magnetic circular dichroism study |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/9.0000908 |
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