title: Microscopic analysis of the composition driven spin-reorientation transition in Ni(x)Pd(1-x)/Cu(001).
abstract: The spin-reorientation transition (SRT) in epitaxial NixPd1-x/Cu(001) is studied by photoemission microscopy utilizing the X-ray magnetic circular dichroism effect at the Ni L2,3 edge. In a composition/thickness wedged geometry, a composition driven SRT could be observed between 37 ML and 60 ML, and 0 and 38% of Pd. Microspectroscopy in combination with azimuthal sample rotation confirms a magnetization preference changing from the [001] to an in-plane easy axis. At this increased thickness, the domain patterns arrange comparable to SRTs in ultrathin films. The images document domains equivalent to a canted state SRT, at which an additional effect of in-plane anisotropies could be identified.
authors.affiliation: Peter Grünberg Institut 6, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany.
authors.forename: Daniel M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Gottlob
authors.affiliation: Peter Grünberg Institut 6, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany.
authors.forename: Hatice
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Doğanay
authors.affiliation: Peter Grünberg Institut 6, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany.
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nickel
authors.affiliation: Peter Grünberg Institut 6, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cramm
authors.affiliation: Peter Grünberg Institut 6, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany; Institut für Optik und Atomare Physik, Technische Universität Berlin, 10623 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Ingo P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Krug
authors.affiliation: Peter Grünberg Institut 6, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany.
authors.forename: Slavomír
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nemšák
authors.affiliation: Peter Grünberg Institut 6, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany; Fakultät für Physik and Center for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen (CeNIDE), Universität Duisburg-Essen, 47048 Duisburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Claus M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Schneider
keywords: Magnetic anisotropy; Magnetism; Spin-reorientation transition; Thin films