Temperature-Dependent Magnetizations and Anisotropies in Pd?Ni Multilayers

Abstract

We present Vibrating Sample Magnetometer measurements on Pd—Ni multilayers in the temperature range between 40 and 300 K. The samples were grown on mica and are fcc polycrystalline ones with a strong texture along (111). The individual Pd and Ni layer thicknesses are optimized in order to have maximum perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. We investigate the variation of the anisotropies as a function of temperature for the sample Pd4—Ni2 that shows the optimum anisotropy. Strongly enhanced magnetization by 50–70% per Ni volume at low temperatures is observed. The temperature dependence of the magnetization is influenced by both, the finite thickness of the Ni layers and the thickness of the Pd layers through the variation of the interlayer coupling.