| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1801270 | Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials | 2009 | 6 Pages |
Heusler alloys are considered as interesting ferromagnetic electrode materials for magnetic tunnel junctions, because of their high spin polarization. We, therefore, investigated the micromagnetic properties in a prototypical thin film system comprising two different Heusler phases Co2MnSiCo2MnSi (CMS) and Co2FeSiCo2FeSi (CFS) separated by a MgO barrier. The magnetic microstructure was investigated by X-ray photoemission electron microscopy (XPEEM). We find a strong influence of the Heusler phase formation process on the magnetic domain patterns. SiO2/V/CMS/MgO/CFSSiO2/V/CMS/MgO/CFS and SiO2/V/CFS/MgO/CMSSiO2/V/CFS/MgO/CMS trilayer structures exhibit a strikingly different magnetic behavior, which is due to pinhole coupling through the MgO barrier and a strong thickness dependence of the magnetic ordering in Co2MnSiCo2MnSi.
