Abstract
Superlattices of Co/Cr have been epitaxially sputtered onto MgO(100) and (110) substrates coated with epitaxial Cr(100) and (211) buffer layers. The Co thickness is fixed at 20 Å and the Cr thickness varied from 7 to 22 Å. On the MgO(110)/Cr(211) substrates, coherent hcp-Co(11̄00)/bcc-Cr(211) superlattice structures are formed. On MgO(100)/Cr(100), x-ray-diffraction results suggest strained hcp-Co(112̄)/bcc-Cr(100) superlattices. Magnetization measurements show fourfold magnetic in-plane anisotropy for the MgO(100) orientation and twofold for the MgO(110). By utilizing a simple model based upon perpendicular uniaxial anisotropies, we have concluded that the fourfold anisotropy has its origin in the second-order uniaxial Co anisotropy energy. The antiferromagnetic interlayer coupling strength exhibits a maximum value of 0.15 erg/cm2 at a Cr thickness of 13 Å in the MgO(110) orientation. The MgO(100) orientation exhibits its strongest coupling of 0.55 erg/cm3 at 10 Å Cr thickness. Modest giant magnetoresistance values no larger than 3% are observed and we find no evidence of enhanced anisotropic magnetoresistance effects recently reported for Co(11̄00)/Cr(211) superlattices.
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