@article{
author = "Polushkin, N. I. and Duarte, A. C. and Conde, O. and Bundaleski, Nenad and Dias, C. and Ventura, J. O. and Araujo, J. P. and Kakazei, G. N. and Lupo, P. and Adeyeye, A. O. and Cardoso, S.",
year = "2016",
abstract = "It is well established that electrical methods, such as the application of a high-density (10(10)-10(11) A m(-2)) current, can be employed for the switching of magnetization in thin ferromagnetic films and hetero-structures after their patterning at the nanoscale. We find that magnetization is robustly switchable, i.e., at macroscopic scales (up to a few millimeters in lateral directions), in a single similar to 30 nm-thick layer of alpha-Fe upon discharging a capacitor through the sample. Interestingly, samples sputtered at enhanced base pressures (similar to 10(-6) mbar) exhibited much lower switching thresholds with no bias field, while their electrical conductivity is anomalously high ( higher than that in bulk of alpha-Fe). We argue that the observed enhancement of conduction relates to the mixed oxide/oxyhydroxide (FeO/FeOOH) layer formed naturally on the top of our alpha-Fe films. This provides an explanation for the magnetization switching upon discharging a capacitor in terms of the Oersted field generated by the discharge current. We analyze the ratio needed between the conductions of the FeO/FeOOH layer and the underlying alpha-Fe for the effective action of the Oersted field.",
journal = "Journal of Materials Chemistry. C",
title = "Electrical switching of magnetization in a layer of alpha-Fe with a naturally hydroxidized surface",
volume = "4",
number = "33",
pages = "7751-7755",
doi = "10.1039/c6tc00700g"
}