Interlayer Exchange Coupling and Proximity Effect in V-Fe Multilayers
A. Marczyńska, K. Synoradzki, M. Pugaczowa-Michalska, T. Toliński and L. Smardz
Institute of Molecular Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, M. Smoluchowskiego 17, 60-179 Poznań, Poland
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We have studied interlayer exchange coupling (IEC) in (110) oriented V/Fe multilayers with ultrathin sublayers up to 7 monolayers (ML). Results showed that IEC energy depends on both vanadium and iron layer thicknesses. The local maxima of the antiferromagnetic coupling were found for V(7 ML)/Fe(4 ML) and V(3 ML)/Fe(3 ML) multilayers (MLs). The strongest AFM coupling energy of about 1.0 mJ/m2 was measured at 5 K for the V(7 ML)/Fe(4 ML) multilayer. The position of the AFM peak for V(X ML)/Fe(3 ML) MLs near 3 ML of V spacer was also revealed by ab-initio calculations. Furthermore, theoretical calculations show an induced negative magnetic moment on V atoms near the V-Fe and Fe-V interfaces due to the proximity effect.

DOI: 10.12693/APhysPolA.133.597
PACS numbers: 75.70.-i, 68.55.-a