Interlayer exchange coupling and magnetic anisotropy in prototype trilayers:Ab initiotheory versus experiment

The magnetism of ultrathin trilayers: a playground to study fundamentals

“…In Fig. 2 we show the same type of calculation by the same group [6] for our trilayer in question. The theory calculates the relativistic spinpolarized 'band energy' difference DE j B ; which can be brought in contact with the experimentally determined intrinsic MAE, which may be decomposed into a volume and surface (averaged) part, i.e.…”

“…1 the bottom trace shows the (0,0) I-V LEED intensity for the substrate Cuð0 0 1Þ crystal. The various diffraction peaks correspond to a layer spacing of 1:81 ( A: For the subsequent pseudomorphically grown 9 ML Ni, 6 ML Cu, and 8 ML Ni, the peaks are shifted to higher energies corresponding to À5:5% contraction of the layer spacing [5,6]. Small uniaxial distortions of few percent do have dramatic effects in the MAE [7,8].…”

Magnetic anisotropy energy and interlayer exchange coupling in ultrathin ferromagnets: Experiment versus theory

“…Usually this is measured at finite temperatures and needs to be extrapolated to T = 0, when comparing with ab initio calculations . Again, the Weinberger-group has adapted a realistic experimental situation and calculated K j and J inter j layer-by-layer for a prototype system of a Ni 8 /Cu j /Ni 9 trilayer [20]. The results are shown in Fig.6.…”

“…In the analysis of the FMR data a "macroscopic" Heisenberg Hamiltonian is used, and that J inter is not the same as a "microscopically" layer wise calculated IEC in Ref. [20]. In earlier review articles T = 0 calculations have been compared with experiments measured, let's say, at room temperature.…”

Oscillations of the interlayer exchange coupling in trilayers with non‐collinear easy axes

“…Their separation is determined by the IEC. We have already performed detailed studies of FM/Cu/FM trilayers using the advantages of in situ FMR measurements [4,5] and employed different existing models describing the oscillatory behavior [6,7]. In this paper we determine the oscillations of the IEC for the unusual Cu/Ni/Cu/Co(Ni) trilayer system, composed of either a Co or Ni film with in-plane easy axis and a Ni film characterized by an easy axis normal to the sample plane, like illustrated by the thick arrows in Fig.…”