We have fabricated Fe∕Sm–Co bilayers with gradient Fe thicknesses in order to systematically study the dependence of exchange coupling on the thickness of the Fe layer. The Fe layer was deposited at two different temperatures (150 and 300°C) to study the effect of deposition temperature on the exchange coupling. Magneto-optical Kerr effect and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) have been employed as nondestructive rapid characterization tools to map the magnetic properties of the gradient samples. Systematic enhancement in exchange coupling between the soft layer and the hard layer is observed as the soft layer thickness is decreased. Separate exchange couplings of the Fe layer with Co and Sm in the hard layer are revealed through measuring the element-specific hysteresis curves using XMCD. The single-phase-like magnetization reversal critical thickness increases from 12nm for Fe deposited at 150°Cto24nm for Fe deposited at 300°C, indicating an important role of the state of the interface in the exchange coupling.

We report on the synthesis of PbTiO3–CoFe2O4 multiferroic nanocomposites and continuous tuning of their ferroelectric and magnetic properties as a function of the average composition on thin-film composition spreads. The highest dielectric constant and nonlinear dielectric signal was observed at (PbTiO3)85–(CoFe2O4)15, where robust magnetism was also observed. Transmission electron microscopy revealed a pancake-shaped epitaxial nanostructure of PbTiO3 on the order of 30 nm embedded in the matrix of CoFe2O4 at this composition. Composition dependent ferroics properties observed here indicate that there is considerable interdiffusion of cations into each other.