Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and magneto-optical properties of (Co-Tb)/Pd multilayers

The perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) and magneto-optical properties of sputtered RE-TM (Co-Tb)/Pd multilayered films were studied. Thick CoTb layers with high Tb concentration were observed to be amorphous. Like in the crystalline Co/Pd multilayered films, perpendicular magnetic anisotropy was observed only for (Co-Tb)/Pd multilayers with thin magnetic layer. The magnetic layer thickness range, over which the easy magnetization axis is perpendicular to the film plane, is much broader for (Co-Tb)/Pd multilayers than that for Co/Pd multilayered films. Kerr rotation angles were found to decrease with increasing Tb concentration. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.