Oscillatory exchange coupling of ferromagnetically aligned Fe(110) layers through Ag(111) interlayers

D. J. Keavney; D. F. Storm; J. W. Freeland; M. D. Wieczorek; J. C. Walker; M. G. Pini; P. Politi; A. Rettori

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.71.927

Oscillatory exchange coupling of ferromagnetically aligned Fe(110) layers through Ag(111) interlayers

D. J. Keavney, D. F. Storm, J. W. Freeland, M. D. Wieczorek, J. C. Walker, M. G. Pini, P. Politi, and A. Rettori

Phys. Rev. Lett. 71, 927 – Published 9 August 1993

Abstract

The interlayer exchange coupling in Fe(110)/Ag(111) multilayer structures with parallel alignment of the Fe layer magnetizations has been investigated with a zero-field Mössbauer spectroscopy technique that is sensitive only to the spin-wave spectrum at the Fe/Ag interface. Model spin-wave calculations are presented to connect the coupling strength to the observed interfacial spin-wave behavior. As the Ag thickness was varied from 0 to 40 ML (monolayers), the interfacial spectra of the films showed oscillations in the coupling strength with a period of 6 ML, in close agreement with recent predictions.

Received 28 April 1993

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.71.927

Authors & Affiliations

D. J. Keavney, D. F. Storm, J. W. Freeland, M. D. Wieczorek, and J. C. Walker

Department of Physics and Astronomy, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218

M. G. Pini

Istituto di Elettronica Quantistica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, via Panciatichi 56/30, I-50127 Firenze, Italy

P. Politi and A. Rettori

Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Firenze ed Unità Gruppo Nazionale di Struttura della Materia, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica dela Materia, Largo E. Fermi 2, I-50125 Firenze, Italy