Exchange coupling in CoFe2O4/CoFe2 bilayers elaborated by pulsed laser deposition

Abstract This paper presents a study of the magnetic behaviour of hard ferrimagnetic oxide/soft ferromagnetic metal CoFe2O4/CoFe2 bilayers. Such bilayers with a constant oxide thickness of 150 nm and thickness of metal varying between 8 and 25 nm were elaborated by pulsed laser deposition of a metallic CoFe2 target in appropriate atmospheres. An exchange coupling of about 0.3 erg / cm 2 between the two layers was put in evidence. The in-plane bulk and interface contributions to the magnetic anisotropy of the soft layer were found to be perpendicular to each other with estimated values of 170 kerg / cm 3 and 0.6 erg / cm 2 respectively.