Phys. Rev. Lett. 65, 1152-1155 (1990)

                                           [Issue 9 - August 1990 ]

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Surface phase transitions and spin-wave modes in semi-infinite magnetic superlattices with
antiferromagnetic interfacial coupling

     J. G. LePage and R. E. Camley 
     Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80933-7150

Received 19 April 1990

We analyze the bulk and surface spin-wave modes of a semi-infinite Fe/Gd superlattice. If an externally applied magnetic field is
increased from zero, one surface mode is driven soft, indicating a surface phase transition which occurs at a field value about 5 times
lower than that necessary to cause a bulk phase transition. The phase transition is shown to nucleate at the surface and has a large
penetration depth (on the order of a few hundred angstroms) even for fields just slightly above the value needed to induce the
transition.

©1990 The American Physical Society

URL: http://publish.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v65/p1152
PACS: 75.30.Ds, 75.70.Fr