PERPENDICULAR ANISOTROPY AND SPIN REORIENTATION IN EPITAXIAL FE/CU3AU(100) THIN-FILMS
Journal
Physical Review B
Journal Volume
51
Pages
12563-12578
Date Issued
1995
Author(s)
Abstract
The in situ magneto-optical Kerr effect in both the polar and longitudinal geometry is studied for fcc Fe films on Cu3Au(100) between 1.7 and 7.5 atomic layers thick. In films with Fe coverages less than 4 monolayers (ML) we observe a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy at temperatures below 300 K. At T=160 K the films exhibit a continuous spin reorientation transition from a perpendicular to an in-plane magnetization in a narrow thickness range between 3.5 and 4 ML. According to the thickness dependence of the Kerr signal the individual layers order ferromagnetically, in contrast to the findings in the Fe/Cu(100) system. Distinct changes in the magnetic properties as a function of coverage may be related to different states of the film structure and morphology. © 1995 The American Physical Society.
Type
journal article