IUVSTA 15th International Vacuum Congress (IVC-15), AVS 48th International Symposium (AVS-48), 11th International Conference on Solid Surfaces (ICSS-11)
    Magnetic Interfaces and Nanostructures Thursday Sessions
       Session MI+TF-ThA

Paper MI+TF-ThA7
Magnetic Phases of Fe Monolayers on Ni/Cu(001)

Thursday, November 1, 2001, 4:00 pm, Room 110

Session: Magnetic Thin Films and Surfaces I
Presenter: M. Farle, Technische Universitaet Braunschweig, Germany
Authors: M. Farle, Technische Universitaet Braunschweig, Germany
H. Poppa, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Correspondent: Click to Email
The spin reorientation transition (SRT) of Fe on 4 to 9 ML Ni on Cu(001) is studied by spin-polarized low-energy electron microscopy (SPLEEM) in situ at 295 K. The formation of magnetic domains is monitored during the growth of the Fe monolayers with video rates at a resolution of about 100 nm. The x,y and z components of the magnetization vector are determined. On 8.2 ML Ni/Cu(001) we find three different magnetic phases as a function of Fe thickness. a) 0.2 to 2.8 ML Fe : large out-of-plane magnetic domains, b) 2.8 to 6 ML Fe : large in-plane magnetic domains, c) > 6 ML Fe no magnetic contrast. At the transition from a) to b) which starts at 2.6 ML and ends at 3.0 ML narrow stripe domains appear with a tilted orientation with respect to the film plane. At the transition from b) to c) the size, shape and direction of the in-plane magnetic domains does not change, only the magnetic contrast is lost. This indicates a transition from a ferromagnetic to the paramagnetic state of 6 ML Fe on 8 ML Ni ! Our domain observations are disussed in terms of current concepts of spin-reorientation transitions.