Probing temperature-driven spin reorientation transition of GdFeCo film by Kerr loops and ferromagnetic resonance
The magnetic anisotropy is of both scientific and technological interest for magneto-optical material GdFeCo film. We characterize the magnetic anisotropy of a 20 nm GdFeCo film from 265 K to 320 K via Kerr loops and ferromagnetic resonance. With increasing temperature, both of the first-order uniaxial magnetic anisotropy and shape anisotropy increase. However, the competition between them causes a temperature-driven spin reorientation transition (SRT) and the effective perpendicular magnetic anisotropy decrease from 2.22 × 10{sup 4 }ergs/cm{sup 3} (288 K) to −1.56 × 10{sup 4 }ergs/cm{sup 3} (317 K). The positive second-order uniaxial magnetic anisotropy determines an easy-cone state as the mediated state during SRT.