Ferromagnetic resonance study of Permalloy/Cu/Co/NiO spin valve system.

Ferromagnetic resonance, in 7 to 18 GHz frequency range, is used to investigate a series of rf sputtered Permalloy (Py)/Cu/Co trilayers and Py/Cu/Co/NiO spin valve system. The experimental data, frequency versus applied magnetic field, agree quit well with the theoretical model. The magnetic coupling between Py and Co is found to be ferromagnetic with effective magnetic coupling parameter values increasing from 0.05 to 0.1 erg/cm² as the interlayer Cu thickness decreases from 10 to 2 nm. While the magnetic coupling leads to a decrease in the resonance fields, H_R, of the modes, the exchange anisotropy at the Co/NiO interface shifts the mode upwards. However the shift is more important for the optical mode than for the acoustic one. Hysteresis curves, qualitatively, confirm the ferromagnetic coupling. The antiferromagnetic NiO layer leads to a slight increase in the coercive field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]