Dresden 2006 – scientific programme

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MA: Magnetismus

MA 35: Magnetic Thin Films V

MA 35.3: Talk

Friday, March 31, 2006, 11:15–11:30, HSZ 03

Correlation of Structure and Magnetism in pulsed laser deposited Co/Pd(001) — •Holger L. Meyerheim, M. Przybylski, Y. Shi, and J. Kirschner — MPI f. Mikrostrukturphysik, Weinberg 2, 06120 Halle

The study of growth, structure and magnetism of ultra-thin Co-films on Pd(001) is of considerable interest due to the possible technological applications of CoPd-alloys for magnetic storage device applications involving perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA). Using surface x-ray diffraction (SXRD), scanning tunneling microscopy and magneto-optic Kerr effect (MOKE) measurements we have investigated the correlation of structure and magnetism in Co-films deposited on Pd(001) by using pulsed laser deposition (PLD).

Up to a coverage of about 3 monolayers (ML, 1~ML=1.32x10$^{15}$ atoms/cm$^{2}$)Co grows in a layer-by-layer mode on Pd(001) forming disordered fct-CoPd-alloy layers. Based on MOKE experiments, as deposited samples do not exhibit PMA. Sample annealing at 600K induces PMA for Co-coverages up to about 5 ML. PMA is directly correlated with structural ordering characterized by the formation of the L$1_{0}$ (CuAu)-structure with alternating Pd-and Co-layers.

The results are discussed in the context of current theories relating structural ordering with PMA.