90{degree} Magnetization Switching in Thin Fe Films Grown on Stepped Cr(001)
- Department of Physics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)
The ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic interfacial interaction was investigated in thin Fe films grown on stepped Cr(001) with the steps parallel to the [100] direction. Above the N{acute e}el temperature of the Cr, the atomic steps induce a uniaxial magnetic anisotropy with the easy axis parallel to the step edges. Below the N{acute e}el temperature, the Fe-Cr interfacial interaction favors the Fe magnetization perpendicular to the step edges. The competition between the Fe-Cr interaction and the step-induced magnetic anisotropy results in an in-plane 90{degree} magnetization switching from perpendicular to the step edges at low step-density to parallel to the step edges at high step density. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society }
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC03-76SF00098
- OSTI ID:
- 641667
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review Letters, Vol. 81, Issue 10; Other Information: PBD: Sep 1998
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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