Reorientational transition of the magnetic anisotropy in Co/Cr(001) superlattices
We have measured the magnetic anisotropy of CoCr(001) superlattices as a function of the cobalt thickness using magneto-optical methods and a torsion magnetometer. The samples grown by molecular-beam epitaxy exhibit a reorientational transition of the easy axis from in-plane orientation for large Co...
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Published in: | Physical review. B, Condensed matter Vol. 53; no. 6; pp. 3256 - 3262 |
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Main Authors: | , , , , |
Format: | Journal Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
United States
01-02-1996
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Online Access: | Get full text |
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Summary: | We have measured the magnetic anisotropy of CoCr(001) superlattices as a function of the cobalt thickness using magneto-optical methods and a torsion magnetometer. The samples grown by molecular-beam epitaxy exhibit a reorientational transition of the easy axis from in-plane orientation for large Co thicknesses (t sub Co > =15 A) to out-of-plane for 10 A < =t sub Co < =15 A and back again to the in-plane orientation for t sub Co < =10 A. We provide evidence that this reorientational transition of the magnetization direction is due to a sign change of the interface anistropy constant induced by a concomitant structural phase transition of the Co layers from hcp to bcc with decreasing Co layer thickness. |
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Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 ObjectType-Article-2 ObjectType-Feature-1 |
ISSN: | 0163-1829 1095-3795 |
DOI: | 10.1103/PhysRevB.53.3256 |