Temperature dependence of the microscopic magnetization process of Tb12Co88 using magnetic Compton scattering

Tb-Co perpendicular magnetization films are mother materials for perpendicular magnetic recording media. Since the magnetic recording technique is based on magnetic switching of a material, investigating a magnetic the response of the material to a magnetic field is important. The magnetic response of the entire system is the net of each microscopic response of the spin magnetic moment and orbital magnetic moment of the elements. Herein we study the magnetization processes of the spin, orbital, and the element-specific magnetic moments by measuring the magnetic field dependence of the magnetic Compton profile of a Tb₁₂Co₈₈ film. The spin and orbital magnetic moments have opposite orientations. Similarly, Tb and Co magnetic moments have opposite directions. When the total magnetic moment reverses, the orientation of spin and orbital magnetization as well as Tb and Co reverse. Decreasing the temperature, the fluctuation of the magnetic moment of Tb in the perpendicular direction decreases. So the cancelation between the Tb and Co moments reduces total magnetic moment.