MAGNETIC-PROPERTIES OF PD/CO MULTILAYERS

Measurements of the magnetic anisotropy of a series of Pd/Co multilayers grown by magnetically enhanced dc triode sputter deposition revealed an interface contribution of 0.53 erg/cm2 and a net volume anisotropy of -13.2 x 10(8) erg/cm3. A characteristic reduction of perpendicular anisotropy for ultrathin Co layers (< 4 angstrom) is explained by using a pair interaction model to evaluate a thickness dependence of the interface anisotropy. For Pd-Co interfaces with perfectly sharp composition modulation an interface anisotropy of 0.79 erg/cm2 is predicted. By modeling the magnetization behavior a domain-wall energy density of 2 +/- 0.5 erg/cm2 is obtained for Pd/Co (2 angstrom) multilayers with Pd thicknesses in the range of 4-20 angstrom. For perpendicular Pd75Co25 alloy thin films the same model gives domain-wall energy densities in the range of 1-2 erg/cm2. For ultrathin Co layers the interlayer Co-Co coupling range is approximately 20 angstrom. Temperature dependence of saturation magnetization of a Pd(11 angstrom)/Co(7.8 angstrom) multilayer demonstrates complete mixing of Pd and Co by 380-degrees-C.