Magnetic and all-optical switching properties of amorphous TbxCo100-x alloys

Abstract

Amorphous TbxCo100-x magnetic alloys exhibit a list of intriguing properties, such as perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, high magneto-optical activity, and magnetization switching using ultrashort optical pulses. Varying the Tb:Co ratio in these alloys allows for tuning properties such as the saturation magnetic moment, coercive field, and the performance of light-induced magnetization switching. In this paper, we investigate the magnetic, optical, and magneto-optical properties of various TbxCo100-x thin-film alloy compositions. We report on the effect the choice of different seeding layers has on the structural and magnetic properties of TbxCo100-x layers. We also demonstrate that for a range of alloys, deposited on fused silica substrates, with Tb content of 24-30 at. %, helicity-dependent all-optical switching of magnetization can be achieved, albeit in a multishot framework. We explain this property to arise from the helicity-dependent laser-induced magnetization on the Co sublattice due to the inverse Faraday effect. Our paper provides an insight into material aspects for future potential hybrid magnetoplasmonic TbCo-based architectures.