Abstract
The mechanisms responsible for surface-step-induced magnetic anisotropy in ultrathin films on vicinal surfaces were explored by studying the effects resulting from surface oxygen adsorption. Magnetic hysteresis loops produced by ultrathin (1–4 ML) Fe films on a variable-step-density W(100) surface were measured using the magneto-optic Kerr effect. Auger electron spectroscopy was used to determine surface oxygen coverage. Significant reductions of the switching fields that characterize the uniaxial surface-step-induced anisotropy were observed. The oxygen-coverage dependencies were found to be consistent with step decoration (preferential chemisorption at steps) and support the highly localized nature of magnetic anisotropy energies associated with the Néel pair-bonding model of surface-step-induced magnetic anisotropy.
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