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Phys. Rev. B 53, 2474–2480 (1996)

[Issue 5 – 1 February 1996 ]

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Polarized-neutron-reflectivity confirmation of 90° magnetic structure in Fe/Cr(001) superlattices

S. Adenwalla, G. P. Felcher, Eric E. Fullerton, and S. D. Bader

Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439

Polarized-neutron reflectivity together with magnetization and magnetotransport measurements on a (001)-oriented [Fe(14 Å)/Cr(74 Å)]₂₀ superlattice confirms the existence of 90° alignment of adjacent Fe layers due to biquadratic interlayer coupling. Each Fe layer is in a single domain state and the magnetic structure is coherent throughout the layered stack. The biquadratic coupling, however, is suppressed below the Cr Néel temperature (T_N=187 K) as the Fe layers uncouple. But by field cooling through T_N it is possible to retain a metastable biquadratic arrangement.

©1996 The American Physical Society

URL: http://link.aps.org/abstract/PRB/v53/p2474
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.53.2474
PACS: 61.12.Ex, 75.70.Cn

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