Europhys. Lett., 49 (4), p. 507 (2000)

Perpendicular pinning of Cr magnetic moments to the Fe
magnetization in Fe/Cr(110) multilayers

H. Fritzsche - J. Hauschild - A. Hoser - S. Bonn - J. Klenke

Hahn-Meitner-Institut Berlin - Glienickerstr. 100, D-14109 Berlin, Germany

(Received 19 August 1999; accepted in final form 1 December 1999)

PACS :
75.30.Fv - Spin-density waves
75.70.-i - Magnetic films and multilayers
61.12.-q - Neutron diffraction and scattering

fritzsche@hmi.de

Abstract:

We investigated the magnetic properties of a (110)-oriented Fe/Cr multilayer of the form $\rm V(110) / (12$ Å Fe / 260 Å Cr)₁₅ / 12 Å Fe / 100 Å Cr consisting of 260 Å thick Cr layers and 12 Å thick Fe layers which were grown epitaxially on a $\rm V(110)$ single crystal. The easy axis of magnetization is the [001] direction as determined by polarized neutron reflectometry. Neutron diffraction data reveal that the commensurate spin density wave is the stable phase at $300\,K$ and the Cr magnetic moments are aligned perpendicular to [001]. When rotating the Fe magnetization from the easy axis into the in-plane hard-axis direction $[1\bar 10]$ by applying a magnetic field of $4500\,Oe$ the intensity of the commensurate Cr(001) peak decreases by a factor of 2. This can be interpreted as a simultaneous rotation of the Fe and Cr moments pinned together in its initial perpendicular orientation.

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