Magnetoresistance and magnetic properties of Co/Ir multilayers on
MgO(110) substrates

      H. Yanagihara 
      Institute of Applied Physics, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305,
Japan 

      K. Pettit 
      IBM Almaden Research Center, San Jose, California 95120-6099 

      M. B. Salamon 
      Department of Physics, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois
61801 

      Eiji Kita 
      Institute of Applied Physics, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305,
Japan 

      S. S. P. Parkin 
      IBM Almaden Research Center, San Jose, California 95120-6099 

A Co(12 Å)/Ir(16 Å) multilayer deposited on MgO(110) is found to have a
strong uniaxial anisotropy, comparable to bulk hcp-Co. Experimental
results suggests the crystallographic relation of
(100)[001]Co/(110)[001]Ir/(110)[001]MgO. A remarkable difference is seen
between easy and hard axis magnetization processes, due to competition
between the in-plane anisotropy and the
exchange coupling. Considering the characteristics of the MH loops and
magnetoresistance curves, we simulate the magnetization and
magnetoresistance processes numerically. The results of our
simulation indicate the existence of biquadratic coupling in
Co/Ir(110). ©1997 American Institute of Physics.