Abstract
We report a study of the structural and magnetic behavior of the topmost magnetic layer in a ferromagnet-nonmagnet (Co-Au) multilayer system. Glancing angle X-ray diffraction measurements performed on a series of multilayers showed a gradual decrease in the grain size of the topmost magnetic layer with the increasing number of bilayers. Concurrently, the magnetic hardness and magneto-crystalline anisotropy of the top Co layer were found to decrease, as observed by magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements. This magnetic softening has been discussed in the light of Herzer's random anisotropy model. Micromagnetic simulations of the multilayer system also corroborated these observations.
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