Hydrogenation Effect on Interlayer Coupling and Magneto-Transport Properties of Pd/Co/Mg/Fe Multilayers

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Condensed Matter Physics
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Hydrogenation significantly alters magnetic properties in materials.
• Developing stable hydrogen storage materials is crucial for energy applications.
• Multilayer structures offer tunable magnetic and transport properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance the hydrogen storage stability of ferromagnetic multilayers.
• To investigate the magneto-transport properties of a Pd/Co/Mg/Fe multilayer structure after hydrogenation.
• To explore the potential of hydrogenation-based spintronic devices.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of Pd/Co/Mg/Fe multilayer structures.
• Hydrogenation exposure at 1 bar in an ambient environment at room temperature.
• X-ray diffraction (XRD) for phase analysis.
• Longitudinal magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) for magnetic coupling.
• Four-probe measurements for magnetoresistance.

Main Results:

• Formation of a stable magnesium hydride (MgH2) phase confirmed by XRD.
• Observed decrease in magnetic coupling after hydrogenation.
• Significant enhancement in magnetoresistance compared to the as-grown sample.
• Improved hydrogenation stability of the ferromagnetic multilayer.

Conclusions:

• The integration of a Mg spacer layer successfully enhances the hydrogen storage stability of ferromagnetic multilayers.
• Hydrogenation induces significant changes in magnetic coupling and magnetoresistance.
• The findings support the development of novel hydrogenation-based spintronic devices.