Magnetic correlations in nanocomposite FePt:Au and FePt:C films

The nanostructure and magnetism of L1(0)-ordered FePt crystallites in matrices of Au and C are investigated as a function of the Au and C contents. Emphasis is on the relation between hysteresis-loop shape, magnetic correlation length, and structural disorder, as relevant to magnetic recording media. The highly (001) textured thin films are produced by annealing [Fe/Pt/X](n) multilayers. The coercivity and the hysteresis-loop slope at coercivity increase and decrease, respectively, with increasing volume fraction of the matrix. The magnetic force microscopy images show that the slope decrease is accompanied by a reduction in the magnetic correlation length. These changes are due to the reduced intergranular exchange coupling, and a simple model describes how interparticle exchange cooperatively increases both the loop slope and the correlation length. (c) 2009 American Institute of Physics. [DOI: 10.1063/1.3073653]