Antiferromagnetic interlayer exchange coupling in sputtered Fe/Cr multilayers: Dependence on number of Fe layers

Journal Article · Mon Apr 08 00:00:00 EDT 1991 · Applied Physics Letters; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.105201· OSTI ID:5713350

Parkin, S S.P. ^[1]; Mansour, A; Felcher, G P ^[2]

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1. IBM Research Division, Almaden Research Center, 650 Harry Road, San Jose, California 95120-6099 (US)
2. Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Ilinois 60439 (US)

The antiferromagnetic arrangement of the magnetic moments of Fe layers in sputtered Fe/Cr multilayered structures is directly demonstrated from polarized neutron reflectometry studies. Such an antiferromagnetic interlayer exchange coupling is also consistent with magnetization studies on a series of (Fe/Cr){sub {ital N}} structures. A remanent magnetization is observed for structures containing an odd number of bilayers but no remanent moment is found for an even number of bilayers. By examining the dependence of saturation field on the number of bilayers it is shown that the antiferromagnetic coupling strength is independent of the number of bilayers and is the same for superlattice and sandwich structures.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 5713350
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters; (USA), Vol. 58:14; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
CHROMIUM
ANTIFERROMAGNETISM
IRON
ANL
MAGNETIC MOMENTS
MAGNETIZATION
SPUTTERING
ELEMENTS
MAGNETISM
METALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
360104* - Metals & Alloys- Physical Properties