Imaging spin-reorientation transitions in consecutive atomic Co layers on Ru(0001).
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.
El Gabaly
Farid
F
Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada and Centro de Microanálisis de Materiales, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid 28049, Spain. farid.elgabaly@uam.es
Gallego
Silvia
S
Muñoz
Carmen
C
Szunyogh
Laszlo
L
Weinberger
Peter
P
Klein
Christof
C
Schmid
Andreas K
AK
McCarty
Kevin F
KF
de la Figuera
Juan
J