title: Imaging spin-reorientation transitions in consecutive atomic Co layers on Ru(0001).
abstract: By means of spin-polarized low-energy electron microscopy, we show that the magnetic easy axis of one to three atomic-layer thick cobalt films on Ru(0001) changes its orientation twice during deposition: One-monolayer and three-monolayer thick films are magnetized in plane, while two-monolayer films are magnetized out of plane. The Curie temperatures of films thicker than one monolayer are well above room temperature. Fully relativistic calculations based on the screened Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker method demonstrate that only for two-monolayer cobalt films does the interplay between strain, surface, and interface effects lead to perpendicular magnetization.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada and Centro de Microanálisis de Materiales, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid 28049, Spain. farid.elgabaly@uam.es
authors.forename: Farid
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: El Gabaly
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gallego
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Muñoz
authors.forename: Laszlo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Szunyogh
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Weinberger
authors.forename: Christof
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: Andreas K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.forename: Kevin F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: McCarty
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de la Figuera