Influence of a non-magnetic underlayer on the magnetic anisotropy of ultra-thin Co sandwiches

Journal Article · Tue Oct 31 23:00:00 EST 1995 · IEEE Transactions on Magnetics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/20.489868· OSTI ID:186976

Engel, B N; Marliere, C; Falco, C M ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States)

The authors have used in situ polar Kerr effect measurements to study the magnetic anisotropy of MBE-grown Cu/Au/Co/Au sandwich structures. They reported earlier that the magnitude of the Au/Co/Au perpendicular anisotropy is strongly peaked at {approximately}1 atomic layer Au overlayer coverage. They report here extensions of this work to investigate the influence on anisotropy of a confined ultra-thin non-magnetic underlayer placed at one of the Co interfaces. Sandwich structures were deposited in a stepped-wedge geometry providing multiple underlayer thickness for each sample. For the case of an underlayer wedge of Au, e.g. Cu/Au(x)/Co/Au, they find a sharp minimum in the perpendicular anisotropy at {approximately}1 atomic layer of Au. This anisotropy behavior is opposite to that of a Au overlayer deposited on a Co film.

• DOE Contract Number: FG03-93ER45488
• OSTI ID: 186976
• Report Number(s): CONF-950404--
• Journal Information: IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, Journal Name: IEEE Transactions on Magnetics Journal Issue: 6Pt2 Vol. 31; ISSN IEMGAQ; ISSN 0018-9464
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
COBALT
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
COPPER
ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE
GOLD
INTERFACES
LAYERS
MAGNETIC PROPERTIES
MOLECULAR BEAM EPITAXY