fcc Fe films grown on a ferromagnetic fcc Co(100) substrate

Fe films grown at room temperature on a ferromagnetic fee Co(100) substrate are shown to exhibit three distinct phases at different thickness ranges as in the Fe/Cu(100) system. The Fe overlayer in these three regions was also found to exhibit different magnetic phases. Low-temperature growth Fe films on Co show a ferromagnetic phase for all Fe thicknesses. This ferromagnetic phase persists up to room temperature, and reverts to the nonferromagnetic phase after annealing at 475 K for films between 5 and 11 ML. Antiferromagnetic coupling between two Co films across the fee Fe spacer layer was observed with an similar to 11 Angstrom oscillation periodicity.