Engineering the magnetic properties of amorphous (Fe80Co20)80B20 with multilayers of variable anisotropy direction

The main goal of this work is to generate a method to control the magnetic properties of magnetostrictive metals (anisotropy and coercive field) without affecting the total magnetostriction. Multilayers of amorphous (Fe80Co20)80B20 are sputtered changing alternatively the anisotropy direction of the successive layers. The hysteresis loops show how the anisotropy field can be controlled by playing with the thickness ratio of the layers. Additionally, a clear decrease of the coercive field when the anisotropy direction rotates 90° from layer to layer is observed. This effect seems to have its origin in the mechanical energy accumulated in each layer.