Orientational and thickness dependence of interfacial magnetocrystalline anisotropy in Co/Cu superlattices

Miyoung Kim*, Lieping Zhong, Xindong Wang, A. J. Freeman

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

The interface magnetocrystalline anisotropy (MCA) of (0 0 1), (1 1 0) and (1 1 1) oriented Co/Cun superlattices (n ≤ 5) was investigated by means of the full potential linearized augmented-plane-wave (FLAPW) method. The results show a marked dependence of the interface MCA on both the orientation and the thickness of the Cu layer. For (0 0 1) oriented superlattices, the small value of the interface MCA with one Cu layer increases significantly as more Cu layers are added. In contrast, the interface MCA of (1 1 0) and (1 1 1) oriented superlattices are not sensitive to the number of Cu layers. The interface MCA is large and positive in the (0 0 1) orientation for n = 3 and 5 and slightly positive in the (1 1 1) orientation for n = 2 and 5, corresponding to a perpendicular easy axis while the (1 1 O) oriented superlattices show in-plane easy axis.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)277-282
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials
Volume186
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 15 1998

Funding

Work supported by the Office of Naval Research (Grant No.N00014-94-1-0030) and by grants of computer time at the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center supported by the NSF Division of Advanced Scientific Computing and the Arctic Region Supercomputing Center. One of us (A.J. Freeman) thanks S.D. Bader for handling the editorial aspects of this manuscript, including the anonymous refereeing.

Keywords

  • Anisotropy - interface
  • Anisotropy - magnetocrystalline
  • Superlattices

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Condensed Matter Physics

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