Magnetic domain size tuning in asymmetric Pd/Co/W/Pd multilayers with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy

Agradecimentos: This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior-Brasil (CAPES)-Finance Code 001, by the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo-São Paulo, Brasil (FAPESP)-Project No. 2012/51198-2, and by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico-Brasil (CNPq). J.C.C., L.S.D., and F.B. acknowledge grants provided by CNPq: Project Nos. 309354/2015-3, 302950/2017-6, and 436573/2018-0, respectively. F.B. acknowledges grant by FAPESP: No. 2017/10581-1. The samples were grown at the Microfabrication Laboratory-Brazilian Nanotechnology National Laboratory (LNNano). The micromagnetic simulations were carried out at the high performance computing facilities of the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS) under Project No. 20180577 Abstract: Magnetic multilayers presenting perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) have great potential for technological applications. On the path to develop further magnetic devices, one can adjust the physical properties of multilayered thin films by modifying their interfaces, thus determining the magnetic domain type, chirality, and size. Here, we demonstrate the tailoring of the domain pattern by tuning the perpendicular anisotropy, the saturation magnetization, and the interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (iDMI) in Pd/Co/Pd multilayers with the insertion of an ultrathin tungsten layer at the top interface. The average domain size decreases around 60% when a 0.2 nm thick W layer is added to the Co/Pd interface. Magnetic force microscopy images and micromagnetic simulations were contrasted to elucidate the mechanisms that determine the domain textures and sizes. Our results indicate that both iDMI and PMA can be tuned by carefully changing the interfaces of originally symmetric multilayers, leading to magnetic domain patterns promising for high density magnetic memories CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQ COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIOR - CAPES FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESP Fechado