Effect of the morphology on the mechanisms of the magnetization reversal of multilayered thin Co/Pd films

Abstract

A comparative study of the magnetization curves of continuous and porous multilayered Pd_10nm/[Co_0.3nm]/Pd_0.55nm]15/Pd_2nm films deposited on an anodized TiO₂ template was performed by magnetometry. Based on the comparison of the dependences of coercive field H_C on angle θ between the easy-magnetization axis and the direction of external magnetic field H with theoretical dependences H_C(θ) for the magnetization reversal by domain walls motion (according to the Kondorski model) and the rotation of magnetic moments (by the Stoner–Wohlfarth model), the differences in the mechanisms of magnetization reversal for two mentioned types of the films were revealed. The correlation between the difference in the morphologies of the continuous and porous films and revealed change in the mechanisms of the magnetization reversal, as well as the changes in values of H_C and calculated constants of the magnetic anisotropy, is discussed.