Magnetization reversal analysis of a thin B2-type ordered Co50Fe50 film by magnetooptic Kerr effect

Abstract

The magnetic structure of a thin B2 ordered Co50Fe50 film is determined by vectorial magnetometry using magnetooptic Kerr effect including different polarizations of the incident light and varied directions of the external magnetic field. Both the magnetic reversal process and the magnetic remanence reveal two in-plane magnetic easy axes of different strengths which are not orthogonal. Atypical magnetization curves including multidomain states in magnetic remanence with some magnetic moments providing antiparallel alignment to the direction of the previously applied external field (if projected to the direction of the external field) confirm the appearance of different strong magnetic easy axes. This magnetic structure can be explained by a cubic magnetic anisotropy (CMA) induced by the crystalline film structure superimposed by an additional uniaxial magnetic anisotropy (UMA) which is not parallel to one of the magnetic easy axes of the CMA. The results are compared with the regular magnetic behaviour of a thin A2 ordered Co50Fe50 film with UMA parallel to one of the magnetic easy axes of the CMA.