Effect of fast strain on Co/Pt multilayers with perpendicular anisotropy

Abstract

Materials possessing perpendicular anisotropy have applications in high density magnetic data storage technology. In this paper, we present initial attempts to measure the fast magnetization switching from out-of-plane to in-plane in perpendicular anisotropy Co/Pt multilayers. Interaction with surface acoustic waves (SAW) results in strain induced anisotropy changes in Co/Pt multilayers arising from the magnetostrictive properties of ferromagnetic Co, and changing the easy axis of magnetization. The strain amplitude required to overcome perpendicular magnetic anisotropy is close to 1%. Such large strains are achievable using annular interdigital transducers (AIDT), in which the electrodes follow the velocity curve of the piezoelectric substrate. When excited at the fundamental resonance frequency, SAW propagating towards the center undergo constructive interference and create an intense strain at the focal center. We successfully fabricated AIDT using photolithography with a fundamental resonance of 87.56 MHz. An elliptic structure of Co/Pt multilayers was deposited at the focal center using electron beam lithography (EBL) and magnetron sputtering. The magnetization of the elliptic patterned Co/Pt was measured using focused MOKE and magnetic force microscopy (MFM), confirming that the ellipse is in a single domain state with out of plane anisotropy. Preliminary attempts to measure the magnetization rotation arising from the strain waves did not show the expected magnetization rotation signature. Possible reasons for this are discussed.