Influence of substrate roughness on spin reorientation transition of ultrathin Co films on Pd(111)

Citation
J. Kim et al., Influence of substrate roughness on spin reorientation transition of ultrathin Co films on Pd(111), APPL PHYS L, 79(1), 2001, pp. 93-95
Citations number
24
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Apllied Physucs/Condensed Matter/Materiales Science
Journal title
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
ISSN journal
0003-6951 → ACNP
Volume
79
Issue
1
Year of publication
2001
Pages
93 - 95
Database
ISI
SICI code
0003-6951(20010702)79:1<93:IOSROS>2.0.ZU;2-#
Abstract
We report a drastically different behavior in spin reorientation transition of ultrathin Co films grown on smooth versus rough Pd(111) single crystal substrates. The morphology and magnetic anisotropy of epitaxially grown Co films have been studied with in situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) an d surface magneto-optical Kerr effects. On an atomically flat substrate, a smooth transition from perpendicular to in-plane magnetization occurs in a thickness interval of over 1.5 ML, beginning at similar to4.5 ML. In contra st, rough substrate causes the transition to begin quite earlier at less th an or equal to3 ML and complete abruptly in less than 1 ML range. Morpholog y difference of the Co films obtained with STM suggests that on rough subst rate, nonuniform coverage of Co leads to locally thicker regions triggering earlier spin reorientation transition. (C) 2001 American Institute of Phys ics.