Magnetic Properties of Textured CoPd Nanocrystalline Thin Films

CoPd is an important nanomaterial for magnetic and magneto-optic storage of information. In this work, CoPd alloyed thin films are grown via radio frequency magnetron sputtering on silicon, glass and polyimide substrates in a vacuum chamber with base pressure of 5 × 10⁻⁸ mbar. The films are nanocrystalline with grain size between 4 and 80 nm. The magnetic properties of thoroughly textured CoPd alloyed thin films are compared to random polycrystalline ones. Magnetization hysteresis loops recorded under fields up to 12 kOe via a home-made magneto-optic Kerr-effect magnetometer reveal strong tendency for perpendicular magnetic anisotropy for the textured film. This anisotropy leads to the formation of well-defined stripe or labyrinthine ferromagnetic domains with the local spins oriented perpendicular to the film plane. The domain patterns and the hysteresis loops are simulated with micromagnetic calculations. Finally, an induced magnetic moment of 0.44 μB/atom is measured for Pd via X-ray magnetic circular dichroism and it is separated into spin and orbital magnetic moment contributions.