Dresden 2006 – scientific programme

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MA: Magnetismus

MA 35: Magnetic Thin Films V

MA 35.1: Talk

Friday, March 31, 2006, 10:45–11:00, HSZ 03

Mode-of-growth dependent interface contribution to magneto-optical response from ultrathin Co films grown on (001), (110) and (111) surfaces of Pd — •Marek Przybylski, Miroslav Nyvlt, Yisheng Shi, Feng Luo, Jan Zukrowski, Jochen Barthel, and Jürgen Kirschner — Max-Planck-Institut für Mikrostrukturphysik, Weinberg 2, D-06120 Halle, Germany

We have grown ultra-thin epitaxial Co films on three low-index surfaces of Pd. Their magnetic properties studied by magneto-optical Kerr effect are correlated with surface morphology analyzed by scanning tunneling microscopy. A perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in the films appeared after exposure to residual gas atmosphere at low temperature, after coverage with an Au overlayer, or after annealing at 370 K and above. Reversed polar Kerr rotation loops with respect to those of thicker Co films were observed for 1 and 2 ML-thick films. This is due to a negative contribution from the Co/Pd interface dominating over the positive contribution from the non-interface part of the Co film. Reversed loops are not seen when the Co films grow in a three-dimensional mode. This indicates a clear correspondence between the mode of growth and the magneto-optical response. Near the film thickness where the Kerr rotation changes sign a remarkable temperature behavior is observed which is discussed as superposition of two different magneto-optical contributions. The results qualitatively agree with the available ab-initio band-structure calculations for Co/Pd multilayer structures with variable thickness of the Co layers.