The effect of inter-layer diffusion on magnetic exchange spring behaviour

Bowden, Graham J., Martin, Kevin N., Fox, Alan, Rainford, B.D., Ward, R.C.C. and de Groot, P.A.J. (2008) The effect of inter-layer diffusion on magnetic exchange spring behaviour. Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, 20 (12), p.125223. (doi:10.1088/0953-8984/20/12/125223).

Abstract

The effect of inter-layer diffusion between the magnetically hard and soft layers in magnetic exchange spring systems is examined, using 1D and 2D models. It is shown that diffusion across the hard/soft interfaces leads to an increase in the bending field BB. This increase eventually saturates when the bending field BB and the coercivity BC merge. Moreover, if the increase in the bending field BB is large enough, the nature of the magnetic reversal can be affected. This behaviour is illustrated using a YFe2 dominated YFe2/DyFe2 exchange spring system. In this case the 1D model predicts that inter-layer diffusion can drive a magnetic phase change, from negative to positive coercivity. Discrete 2D model calculations of inter-layer diffusion are also presented and discussed. The latter support the predictions of the 1D model. Finally, while the emphasis is on atomic diffusion, some comments are made concerning interface roughness.

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