Polar magneto-optical Kerr effect studies of interlayer exchange coupling in Fe/Tb bilayers and Fe/Au/Tb trilayers

• Published in: Semiconductor Physics Quantum Electronics & Optoelectronics
• Date: 2002
• Main Authors: Shypil, E.V., Pogorilyy, A.M., Pogoryelov, Ye.O.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Інститут фізики напівпровідників імені В.Є. Лашкарьова НАН України 2002
• Online Access: https://nasplib.isofts.kiev.ua/handle/123456789/121163
• Journal Title: Digital Library of Periodicals of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
• Cite this: Polar magneto-optical Kerr effect studies of interlayer exchange coupling in Fe/Tb bilayers and Fe/Au/Tb trilayers / E.V. Shypil, A.M. Pogorilyy, Ye.O. Pogoryelov // Semiconductor Physics Quantum Electronics & Optoelectronics. — 2002. — Т. 5, № 2. — С. 212-216. — Бібліогр.: 33 назв. — англ.

Interlayer exchange coupling was studied. The investigations were carried out on bilayer (Fe/Tb) and trilayer (Fe/Au/Tb) ultrathin film structures. The films on silica substrate were prepared by electron-beam evaporation in an MBE system with a background pressure of (1 ·5) · 10⁻¹⁰ Torr and maintaining a pressure of (1 · 3) · 10⁻⁹ Torr during the film growth. To investigate these film structures polar magneto-optical Kerr effect was used. In bilayers the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy was observed. When a monolayer of Au was interposed at the interface, was observed to disappear. This is because of breaking the short-range interaction between Fe and Tb layers. Instead a long-range indirect exchange via nonmagnetic Au interlayer appears. The increase of Au interlayer thickness (3 · 35 Å) resulted in the oscillations of the Kerr angle. Analogous oscillations are distinctive to the RKKY model of interlayer exchange coupling.