Threshold interface magnetization required to induce magnetic proximity effect

Abstract

Magnetism can be induced in nominally nonmagnetic metals, such as platinum, as a result of proximity to an adjacent ferromagnet. This proximity-induced magnetism is typically weak and decays over a length scale on the order of nanometers, making the elucidation of the underlying physics experimentally challenging. The authors use a combination of polarized neutron reflectivity to probe depth-resolved magnetization in the ferromagnet and x-ray resonant magnetic reflectivity to provide an element-specific probe of depth-resolved magnetism in platinum. This allows for a direct comparison of the proximity-induced magnetism in platinum with the magnetization close to the interface within the ferromagnet.