title: Temperature-induced reversal of magnetic interlayer exchange coupling.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Experimentalphysik, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, D-14195 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Döbrich
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wietstruk
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Prieto
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Heigl
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Krupin
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Starke
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kaindl