Magnetic quantum well states in ultrathin film and wedge structures

Technical Report · Mon Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1996

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/226044· OSTI ID:226044

Li, D; Bader, S D ^[1]

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1. Argonne National Lab., IL (United States). Materials Science Div.

Magnetic quantum-well (QW) states are probed with angle- and spin-resolved photoemission to address critical issues pertaining to the origin of the giant magnetoresistance (GMR) optimization and oscillatory coupling of magnetic multilayers. Two epitaxial systems are highlighted: Cu/Co(wedge)/Cu(100) and Cr/Fe(100)-whisker. The confinement of Cu sp-QW states by a Co barrier requires a characteristic Co thickness of 2.2 {+-} 0.6 {angstrom}, which is consistent with the interfacial Co thickness reported to optimize the GMR of permalloy-Cu structures. The controversial k-space origin of the 18-{angstrom} long period oscillation in Fe/Cr multilayers is identified by the vector that spans the d-derived lens feature of the Cr Fermi surface, based on the emergence of QW states with 17 {+-} 2 {angstrom} periodicity in this region.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States); Department of Defense, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 226044
• Report Number(s): ANL/MSD/CP--89172; CONF-960425--5; ON: DE96009127; CNN: Contract N00014-94-F-0085
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
CHROMIUM
COBALT
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
COPPER
ELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FERMI LEVEL
HETEROJUNCTIONS
IRON
LAYERS
MAGNETORESISTANCE
THIN FILMS