AVS 49th International Symposium
    Magnetic Interfaces and Nanostructures Friday Sessions
       Session MI+TF-FrM

Paper MI+TF-FrM4
Determination of the Spin-Spin Coupling Strength in Ultrathin Magnetic Films

Friday, November 8, 2002, 9:20 am, Room C-205

Session: Magnetic Thin Films and Surfaces
Presenter: N.A.R. Gilman, Penn State University
Authors: N.A.R. Gilman, Penn State University
R. Zhang, Penn State University
R.F. Willis, Penn State University
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We present a model of spin-spin coupling in itinerant ferromagnets which provides insight into the observed linear decrease of the Curie temperature with decreasing ultrathin film thickness.@footnote 1@ The slopes of plots of Tc versus ultrathin film thickness reflect the strength of the spin-spin coupling and the effective range of the spin-spin interactions. Experimental results for alloys of Fe, Co and Ni show this range of spin-spin interactions decreasing with increasing bulk Curie temperature. Measurements of their Fermi surfaces@footnote 2@ show a direct correlation with the concentration of holes in the d-band. @FootnoteText@ @footnote 1@ R. Zhang and R.F. Willis, Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 2665 (2001).@footnote 2@ M. Hochstrasser et al. Phys. Rev. B 60, 17030 (1999).