Investigation of magnetization reversal mechanism in nanometer-thick Tb-Fe-Co films with Al overlayer

Magnetic anisotropy energy and magnetization reversal mechanism were investigated in the glass/Tb-Fe-Co(MO)/Al films with the MO layer thickness t/sub MO/ 3 to 10 nm. As t/sub MO/ decreases, an easy magnetization direction changed from perpendicular to parallel to a film plane at t/sub MO/ of about 4 nm. Measurements of rotational hysteresis loss suggested that the magnetization reversal in the films seems to be an incoherent curling mode.