In-plane magnetic anisotropies of sputtered Co0.7Fe0.3 films on AlGaAs(001) spin light emitting diode heterostructures.

The in-plane magnetic properties of Co0.7Fe0.3 films sputtered onto Al0.1Ga0.9As and Al0.1Ga0.9As/GaAs epilayers are consistent with a strongly oriented bcc crystal structure with clean metal-semiconductor interfaces. However, the interface induced uniaxial magnetic anisotropy is oriented along one of the in-plane <100>, rather than <110>, as is the case in molecular beam epitaxy—grown films. Resonant x-ray measurements show interfacial magnetic disorder in films on Al0.1Ga0.9As, which accounts for the difference in magnetic anisotropy behavior between samples on Al0.1Ga0.9As and Al0.1Ga0.9As/GaAs epilayer substrates, and which may have significant consequences for the spin-injection efficiency across such interfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]