Magneto-optical Kerr effect studies of Cu2O/nickel heterostructures

Cuprous oxide (Cu2O) is a diamagnetic p-type semiconductor material, considered to be highly attractive for the rapidly emerging field of oxide electronics. In this work Cu2O layers with various thicknesses were produced by atomic layer deposition to form heterostructures with ferromagnetic layers of Ni as model systems for potential spintronic devices. The magnetic properties of the heterostructures were investigated by magneto-optical Kerr effect spectroscopy and magnetometry.

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► Cu2O/Ni heterostructures are investigated by MOKE spectroscopy and magnetometry.
► 3 nm Ni films grown by magnetron sputtering on SiO2/Si substrates are ferromagnetic.
► An ALD Cu2O layer on top of the Ni film enhances the MOKE signal.
► Ni layers grown on top of ALD Cu2O layers do not show a MOKE hysteresis.