Probing Magnetic Characteristics of \(Co_{60}Fe_{40}\) Films Prepared by Pulsed Laser Deposition

Abstract

In this work, we study the magnetic properties of \(Co_{60}Fe_{40}\) films grown by the pulsed laser deposition technique while varying the deposition parameters, specifically the deposition temperature and laser energy. The magnetodynamics of the films including the magnetization (M) and the Gilbert damping (\(\alpha \)) were measured via broadband ferromagnetic measurement. We identify an optimal deposition temperature of approximately 373 K, resulting in high M of 1.54 T and low \(\alpha \) of 0.017 . for a 19 nm thick film. Furthermore, the laser energy variation leads to thicknesses between 5 and 19 nm, with M decreasing linearly with the reduced thickness. This allows the separation of bulk and surface contributions, measuring a bulk magnetization of 1.73 T and a magnetic surface anisotropy of 2.9 . \(mJ/m^2\) originating from the interfaces. In contrast, we measure an increase in \(\alpha \) with decreasing thickness, emphasizing significant surface contributions.