Ferromagnetic resonance study of sputtered Co|Ni multilayers

Abstract

We report on room temperature ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) studies of [$t$ Co$|2t$ Ni]$\times$N sputtered films, where $0.1\le t\le 0.6$ nm. Two series of films were investigated: films with same number of Co$|$Ni bilayer repeats (N=12), and samples in which the overall magnetic layer thickness is kept constant at 3.6 nm (N=1.2/$t$). The FMR measurements were conducted with a high frequency broadband coplanar waveguide up to 50 GHz using a flip-chip method. The resonance field and the full width at half maximum were measured as a function of frequency for the field in-plane and field normal to the plane, and as a function of angle to the plane for several frequencies. For both sets of films, we find evidence for the presence of first and second order anisotropy constants, $K_1$ and $K_2$. The anisotropy constants are strongly dependent on the thickness $t$, and to a lesser extent on the total thickness of the magnetic multilayer. The Landé g-factor increases with decreasing $t$ and is practically independent of the multilayer thickness. The magnetic damping parameter $\alpha$, estimated from the linear dependence of the linewidth, $△H$, on frequency, in the field in-plane geometry, increases with decreasing $t$. This behaviour is attributed to an enhancement of spin-orbit interactions with $t$ decreasing and in thinner films, to a spin-pumping contribution to the damping.

18 pages, 13 figures