Abstract
X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) measurements on wedges of Ni grown on Cu(001) are used to investigate magnetic properties in Ni/Cu(001) ultrathin films. A sharp transition from in-plane to perpendicular magnetization is found near 7 ML, and a gradual transition back to in-plane magnetization begins near 37 ML. The critical thickness for epitaxial growth, 13 ML, is determined from a rapid rise in the coercive field versus film thickness. Both transitions in the direction of easy axis are well explained by considering the effects of the surface, shape, and the strain-induced magnetoelastic anisotropies. The critical layer thickness of 13 ML plays a critical role in understanding the transition near 37 ML. Capping the Ni wedge with 2 ML of Co increases the magnitude of the surface anisotropy, forcing the magnetization to remain in plane for thickness up to at least 18 ML. Addition of an Fe capping layer has no effect on the direction of magnetization, suggesting the importance of interface anisotropies or intermixing.
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