Step-induced canting of magnetization in Fe/Ag superlattices

                                                                            J. Dekostera
                                                                           J. Meersschauta
                                                                            B. Degrootea
                                                                            S. Degrootea
                                                                             C. L'abbéa
                                                                             G. Koopsa
                                                                           M.J. Prandolinia
                                                                             T. Phaleta
                                                                            L. Vannestea
                                                                            H.D. Pfannesa
                                                                             D.L. Nagyb
                                                                             L. Bottyanb
                                                                             R. Rüfferc
                                                                             O. Leupoldc
                                                                           G. Langouchea

                                       aInstituut voor Kern- en Stralingsfysica, K.U. Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200 D, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium

                                         bKFKI Research Institute for Particle and Nuclear Physics, POB 49, H-1525 Budapest, Hungary

                                              cEuropean Synchrotron Radiation Facility, BP 220, F-38043 Grenoble Cedex, France

We have investigated the reorientation of the easy axis of magnetization in (0 0 1) Fe/Ag superlattices using vibrating sample magnetometry, Mössbauer spectroscopy and nuclear resonance
scattering of synchrotron radiation. Clear evidence is found that the Fe-layer magnetization can be oriented considerably out of the plane of the sample at room temperature, even for Fe-layer thicker
than 6 ML at which the spin-reorientation transition usually occurs in Fe/Ag. The spin canting is attributed to frustration and a strong contribution of a step-induced anisotropy.