Determination of the electronic density of states near buried interfaces: Application to Co/Cu multilayers

Competing Spin Transfer and Dissipation at Co/Cu(001) Interfaces on Femtosecond Timescales

By combining interface-sensitive nonlinear magneto-optical experiments with femtosecond time resolution and ab initio time-dependent density functional theory, we show that optically excited spin dynamics at Co/Cu(001) interfaces proceeds via spin-dependent charge transfer and back transfer between Co and Cu. This ultrafast spin transfer competes with dissipation of spin angular momentum mediated by spin-orbit coupling already on sub 100 fs timescales. We thereby identify the fundamental microscopic processes during laser-induced spin transfer at a model interface for technologically relevant ferromagnetic heterostructures.

X-ray Detection of Transient Magnetic Moments Induced by a Spin Current in Cu

We have used a MHz lock-in x-ray spectromicroscopy technique to directly detect changes in magnetic moment of Cu due to spin injection from an adjacent Co layer. The elemental and chemical specificity of x rays allows us to distinguish two spin current induced effects. We detect the creation of transient magnetic moments of 3×10^{-5}μ_{B} on Cu atoms within the bulk of the 28 nm thick Cu film due to spin accumulation. The moment value is compared to predictions by Mott's two current model. We also observe that the hybridization induced existing magnetic moments at the Cu interface atoms are transiently increased by about 10% or 4×10^{-3}μ_{B} per atom. This reveals the dominance of spin-torque alignment over Joule heat induced disorder of the interfacial Cu moments during current flow.

Implanted-ion βNMR: A new probe for nanoscience

NMR detected by radioactive beta decay, β-NMR, is undergoing a renaissance largely due to the availability of high intensity low energy beams of the most common probe ion, Li+8, and dedicated facilities for materials research. The radioactive detection scheme, combined with the low energy ion beam, enable depth resolved NMR measurements in crystals, thin films and multilayers on depth scales of 2-200 nm. After a brief historical introduction, technical aspects of implanted-ion β-NMR are presented, followed by a review of recent applications to a wide range of solids.

Increased tunneling magnetoresistance using normally bcc CoFe alloy electrodes made amorphous without glass forming additives

Using cross-section transmission electron microscopy we show that films of CoFe alloys, sandwiched between two conventional amorphous materials, are amorphous when less than approximately 25-30 A thick. When these amorphous layers are integrated into magnetic tunnel junctions with amorphous alumina tunnel barriers, significantly higher tunneling magnetoresistance is found compared to when these layers are made crystalline (e.g., by heating or by thickening them). We postulate that this is likely due to changes in interfacial bonding at the alumina-CoFe interface. Indeed, x-ray emission spectroscopy shows a significant increase in the Fe, but not the Co, 3d density of states at the Fermi energy for thin amorphous CoFe layers.