Local magnetic effects of interface alloying in Fe/Co superlattices

• Published in: Journal of physics. Condensed matter 2006-07, Vol.18 (26), p.5807-5824
• Main Authors: Kamali-M, S, Bergman, A, Andersson, G, Stanciu, V, Häggström, L
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Exact sciences and technology; Interfacial magnetic properties (multilayers, magnetic quantum wells, superlattices, magnetic heterostructures); Magnetic properties and materials; Magnetic properties of surface, thin films and multilayers; Magnetic resonances and relaxations in condensed matter, mössbauer effect; Mössbauer effect; other γ-ray spectroscopy; Physics
• ISSN: 0953-8984; 1361-648X
• DOI: 10.1088/0953-8984/18/26/002

Effects of interface alloying and the thickness dependence of magnetic properties of Fe/Co(001) multilayers have been investigated. The thicknesses of the Fe layers have been varied between two and 14 monolayers while the Co layers have been held constant at 7 ML. From conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy (CEMS) measurements and electronic structure calculations it is found that the magnitude of the Fe magnetic hyperfine field is larger close to the interface and smaller in the middle of thick (≥9 ML) Fe layers. For a thinner Fe layer (≤5 ML) the largest field is found in the centre of the Fe layer. By modelling the effects of interface alloying from earlier data for bulk Fe-Co alloys, and comparing with the experimental results, the degree of interface alloying is estimated to be 2-3 ML at each interface.