Magnetization of uncovered and V-covered ultrathin Fe(100) films on V(100)
- National Research Council Canada, SIMS, NPMR, Chalk River Labs, Bldg. 459, Chalk River, ON, K0J 1J0 (Canada)
We used polarized neutron reflectometry (PNR) to determine the absolute magnetic moment of uncovered and V-covered Fe films in the thickness range from 0.3 to 5.5 nm. The films were prepared by molecular beam epitaxy on a V(100) buffer layer grown on a MgO(100) crystal. The magnetic moment shows a linear dependence on the Fe film thickness with a reduction (compared to the Fe bulk value) of the magnetic moment equivalent to 0.1 nm bulk Fe for the V-covered films and a reduction equivalent to 0.03 nm bulk Fe for the uncovered Fe films. For the case of the V/Fe/V samples we observe a much smaller reduction of the magnetic moment than reported for experiments on Fe/V multilayers. As theoretical calculations show a strong decrease of the magnetic moment for an interface alloy we conclude that the larger reduction of the magnetization in Fe/V multilayers is due to an increase in interface roughness with increasing film thickness. For the uncovered Fe(100) films we find a much smaller reduction of the magnetic moment than in earlier in situ PNR experiments on V(110)/Fe(110) where we observed a reduction equivalent to 0.4 nm bulk Fe.
- OSTI ID:
- 20662258
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, Vol. 70, Issue 21; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.70.214406; (c) 2004 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1098-0121
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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