Temperature-dependent magnetic anisotropies in epitaxial Fe/CoO/MgO(001) system studied by the planar Hall effect

Abstract

Exchange-induced in-plane magnetic anisotropies in a single-crystalline Fe/CoO/MgO(001) system were quantitatively investigated using the planar Hall effect as a function of temperature. Field cooling can induce a strong uniaxial anisotropy in Fe film with the easy axis along the CoO〈110〉 directions close to the cooling field direction. The exchange coupling also induces a 4-fold anisotropy with the easy axis along the CoO〈100〉 directions. Our results prove that the strong magneto-crystalline anisotropy of CoO antiferromagnetic spin plays a significant role in exchange-induced anisotropy.