Magnetic structure of nonideal Fe/Cr interface

Different kinds of space defects on the background of ideal smooth interface in Fe/Cr multilayers, such as steps, embedded clusters, pinholes, random interface roughness, are investigated within model Hamiltonian approach. Calculations of magnetic structure are performed in the periodic Anderson model (PAM) in mean field approximation by recursion method in the real space. The distribution of magnetic moments obtained for two sets of interfaces (with different roughness) shows strong sensitivity of magnetic structure to the interface roughness and interdiffusion. Application of the theory for interpretation of Mossbauer spectra of Fe/Cr multilayers is discussed. Spectra obtained for three perpendicular orientations of the sample relatively to the incident beam allowed to avoid the problem of nonrandom distribution of magnetic moment direction in the multilayers. Information about the angular dependence of hyperfine fields on the Fe atoms in Fe/Cr superlattices obtained by means of Mossbauer spectroscopy technique is discussed within the framework of the theory of noncollinear magnetic structure. Copyright (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.