| The magnetic and structural properties of selected thin film multilayers systems have been investigated by x-ray magnetic circular dichroism, Kerr effect magnetometry, and x-ray diffraction. Experimental evidence of induced moments in the spacer material layers as well as any variation in the ferromagnetic layer is given. Evidence for the stabilization of non-equilibrium structural phases in these films is also presented.; The Fe/3d systems showed moments on the spacer materials which were aligned antiferromagnetically at the interface. The Fe/4d systems exhibited more variety, with Ru, Rh and Pd showing moments aligned to Fe while Mo was aligned antiferromagnetically and any Nb moment was indeterminable.; Rhodium exhibited the largest induced moment which was at least 1 muB as measured in Fe/Rh multilayer films. The presence of a moment is linked to the proximity of a ferromagnetic layer while the magnitude is related to the magnitude of the FM moment. The crystalline environment is shown to play a key role in the moments away from the interface. In the bcc phase Rh retains its moment while in the fcc phase the moment is damped at the interior of the layer, thus essentially confined to the interfacial region.; The Fe moments in the films studied also exhibited a variation which was correlated to the spacer elements position in the periodic table. Those elements to the left of Fe showed antiferromagnetically aligned moments, and little or no Fe moment enhancement while those to the right (or below) showed ferromagnetic alignment and enhanced Fe moments. |
PDF Full Text Request