Copyright © (1997) American Institute of Physics. This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and the American Institute of Physics
The magnetic anisotropy in Co films epitaxially grown on Cu(001) is investigated by measuring magneto-optical Kerr hysteresis loops during film growth. As a function of Co thickness the magnetic anisotropy oscillates with a period of one monolayer. These oscillations are attributed to the periodic variations of the film morphology alternating between filled and incompletely filled atomic layers. Upon coverage of the Co films with Cu overlayers the anisotropy of the magnetic film is found to oscillate with increasing Cu layer thickness. We relate these oscillations to quantum interferences due to the confinement of electrons in ultrathin films.
By: C. H. Back (ETH Zurich, Switz.), Ch. Wuersch (ETH Zurich, Switz.), A. Bischof, D. Pescia (ETH Zurich, Switz.) and R. Allenspach
Published in: Journal of Applied Physics, volume 81, (no 8), pages 5054-7 in 1997
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