Abstract
The magnetic anisotropy energies of multilayers which include only magnetic elements, Ni/Co and Ni/Fe, are calculated from first principles. Both systems show perpendicular anisotropy but the anisotropy energy is somewhat smaller than that of well-studied systems such as Pd/Co. The LDOS (local density of states) of Ni is as large as that of Co(Fe) at the Fermi level and contributes directly to perpendicular anisotropy, which means that the magnetic moments of Ni are also normal to the film plane. The anisotropy cannot be explained only in terms of the electronic structure of Co(Fe) near the Fermi level but that of Ni must also be considered. The origin of the perpendicular anisotropy is attributed to a large LDOS of |m| =2 character of Co(Fe) and Ni minority spin near the Fermi energy.
Published Version
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