Magnetic phase transition in Co/Cu/Ni/Cu(100) and Co/Fe/Ni/Cu(100)

Phys Rev Lett. 2003 Oct 3;91(14):147202. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.91.147202. Epub 2003 Sep 30.

Abstract

Magnetic phase transitions in coupled magnetic sandwiches of Cu/Co/Cu/Ni/Cu(100) and Cu/Co/Fe/Ni/Cu(100) are investigated by photoemission electron microscopy. Element-specific magnetic domains are taken at room temperature to reveal the critical thickness at which the magnetic phase transition occurs. The results show that a coupled magnetic sandwich undergoes three types of magnetic phase transitions depending on the two ferromagnetic films' thickness. A phase diagram is constructed and explained in the process of constructing Monte Carlo simulations, which corroborate the experimental results.