Magnetostriction and anisotropy of amorphous Gd-Co r.f. sputtered thin films

Abstract

The measurements of magnetostriction and anisotropy of r.f. sputtered amorphous Gd_1−xCo_x thin films are reported. Both were measured in the range of composition x=0.667–0.835 using cantilever‐capacitance method. The perpendicular anisotropy K_u and saturation magnetostriction λ_s reach extremal values in the vicinity of the compensation composition (for x=0.77), although K_u shows a minimum of ∼1×10⁵erg/cm³, whereas (3/2) λ_s shows a maximum of ∼47×10⁻⁶. The experimental results are analysed within the frame of pair ordering model. A mechanism explaining the compositional dependence of magnetostriction is proposed.