Abstract
In 2-dimensional magnetic ultrathin film systems, the magnetic anisotropy may be changed due to the variation of crystalline structure, interface, and alloy composition, in which the change of easy axis is so-called the spin reorientation transition (SRT). In ultrathin Fe/Mn/Cu3Au(001) bilayer system, a new mechanism of SRT has been discovered based on the complete thickness and temperature dependent studies. The growth, crystalline structure, magnetism, and magnetic domain of room temperature grown Fe/Mn/Cu3Au(001) are measured by medium energy electron diffraction (MEED), low energy electron diffraction (LEED), magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE), and photoemission electron microscope (PEEM). In the 6 ML Fe/Mn/Cu3Au(100) system, the crystalline structure of Fe remains bct structure and the interlayer distance is about 1.55 angstrom as Mn thickness increasing from 0 to 15 ML. The magnetic easy axis changes from in-plane to out-of-plane direction as Mn thickness is up to 3 ML at 220 K. Meanwhile, large enhancement in coercivity with the increasing of Mn thickness was observed. Also, Mn reveals ferromagnetic domains, which are anti-parallel coupled with the Fe domains, and switch from in-plane to perpendicular with Mn thickness. These evidences suggest that the SRT is due to the exchange coupling in Fe (FM) and Mn (AFM) interface.
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