Origin and Tailoring of the Antiferromagnetic Domain Structure in αFe2O3 Thin Films Unraveled by Statistical Analysis of Dichroic Spectromicroscopy (X-Ray Photoemission Electron Microscopy) Images

Odile Bezencenet, Daniel Bonamy, Rachid Belkhou, Philippe Ohresser, and Antoine Barbier
Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 107201 – Published 7 March 2011

Abstract

The magnetic microstructure and domain wall distribution of antiferromagnetic αFe2O3 epitaxial layers is determined by statistical image analyses. Using dichroic spectromicroscopy images, we demonstrate that the domain structure is statistically invariant with thickness and that the antiferromagnetic domain structure of the thin films is inherited from the ferrimagnetic precursor layer one, even after complete transformation into antiferromagnetic αFe2O3. We show that modifying the magnetic domain structure of the precursor layer is a genuine way to tune the magnetic domain structure and domain walls of the antiferromagnetic layers.

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  • Received 20 August 2010

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.107201

© 2011 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Odile Bezencenet1,*, Daniel Bonamy1, Rachid Belkhou2, Philippe Ohresser2, and Antoine Barbier1,†

  • 1CEA, IRAMIS, SPCSI, F-91191 Gif sur Yvette, France
  • 2Synchrotron SOLEIL, L’Orme des Merisiers Saint-Aubin, B.P. 48, F-91192 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France

  • *Present address: THALES Research and Technology France, 1, avenue Augustin Fresnel, F-91767 Palaiseau cedex, France.
  • Corresponding author. abarbier@cea.fr

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Issue

Vol. 106, Iss. 10 — 11 March 2011

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