Temperature-induced reversal of magnetic interlayer exchange coupling.
For epitaxial trilayers of the magnetic rare-earth metals Gd and Tb, exchange coupled through a nonmagnetic Y spacer layer, element-specific hysteresis loops were recorded by the x-ray magneto-optical Kerr effect at the rare-earth M5 thresholds. This allowed us to quantitatively determine the strength of interlayer exchange coupling (IEC). In addition to the expected oscillatory behavior as a function of spacer-layer thickness dY, a temperature-induced sign reversal of IEC was observed for constant dY, arising from magnetization-dependent electron reflectivities at the magnetic interfaces.
Döbrich
K M
KM
Institut für Experimentalphysik, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, D-14195 Berlin, Germany.
Wietstruk
M
M
Prieto
J E
JE
Heigl
F
F
Krupin
O
O
Starke
K
K
Kaindl
G
G