Magnetic and structural properties of Fe(100)/Ag(100) single-crystal multilayer films with ultrathin Fe layers

Abstract

Multilayer single-crystal films with 57Fe(100)/Ag(100) periods have been grown with Fe layers only 1.7 monolayers thick, using molecular-beam epitaxy techniques. Reflection electron diffraction and Auger spectroscopy were used to establish the crystalline and chemical perfection of these samples. SQUID magnetometer measurements were made over 0–40 kOe and 10–300 K ranges. At 10 K it is easier to saturate the magnetization normal to the film than in its plane. Furthermore, there is a significant perpendicular remanence Mr. This indicates that the easy axis of magnetization is normal to the film. The strong temperature dependence of Mr suggests that thermally assisted domain-wall motion exists in these samples. Mössbauer studies of the same sample (reported elsewhere) are consistent with the above behavior.