Phys. Rev. Lett. 73, 193-196 (1994)

                                                                      [Issue 1 - July 1994 ]

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Magnetic properties of Fe films on Cr(100)

      A. Berger and H. Hopster 
      Department of Physics and Institute of Surface and Interface Science, University of California, Irvine, California 92717

Received 25 February 1994

The magnetization behavior of thin (1-5 nm) epitaxial Fe films on Cr(100) is investigated by the magneto-optical Kerr effect. Hysteresis loops show a strong change of the coercive field in a very
narrow temperature range around T=130 K, independent of the film thickness. In addition, films below 3 nm thickness exhibit a strongly reduced remanent magnetization in an intermediate temperature
range (T [approx equals] 140-300 K). An explanation for both effects is based on the interface exchange coupling which connects the intrinsic antiferromagnetic properties of the Cr substrate to the
Fe overlayer and therefore modifies its magnetic properties.

©1994 The American Physical Society

URL: http://publish.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v73/p193
PACS: 75.50.Rr, 75.60.Ej, 75.70.Ak