Abstract
The macro- and micro-magnetic properties of Fe–Co alloy films eletrodeposited on GaAs(100) are studied by synchrotron radiation x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) in combination with the magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) measurements and magnetic force microscopy (MFM). The orbital and spin magnetic moments of each element in the Fe–Co alloy are determined by the sum rules of XMCD. Element-specific hysteresis loops (ESHL) are obtained by recording the L3 MCD signals as a function of applied magnetic field. MOKE results reveal that the amorphous films are magnetically isotropic in the surface plane. The MFM image shows that the dimension of the magnetic domains is about 1–2 μm, which is much larger than that of the grains, indicating that there are intergranular correlations among these grains. Both ESHL and MOKE hysteresis loops indicate the strong ferromagnetic coupling of Fe and Co in the alloy films.