Phys. Rev. Lett. 67, 3598-3601 (1991)

                                                                                [Issue 25 - December 1991 ]

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Systematic variation of the strength and oscillation period of indirect magnetic exchange coupling through the 3d, 4d, and 5d transition metals

       S. S. P. Parkin 
       IBM Research Division, Almaden Research Center, 650 Harry Road, San Jose, California 95120-6099

Received 26 April 1991

We show that oscillatory indirect magnetic exchange coupling via transition metals sandwiched between ferromagnetic layers of Fe, Co, Ni, or Ni alloys is a general phenomeonon. Surprisingly, the oscillation period is
approximately the same, ~=10 Å, in all the transition metals in which we observe coupling with the single exception of Cr, for which it is much longer. Furthermore, the exchange-coupling strength is found to increase
systematically from the 5d to 4d to 3d metals and exponentially with increasing number of d electrons along each period.

©1991 The American Physical Society

URL: http://publish.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v67/p3598
PACS: 75.50.Rr, 72.15.Gd, 75.70.Cn