Experimental Study On Interlayer Magnetic Coupling In Sputtered Al/Fe/Al/Gd Magnetic Multilayer Film Using X-Ray Magnetic Circular Dichroism Technique

Interlayer magnetic coupling (IMC) between Fe and Gd layers through Al spacer has been experimentally studied on [Al(R Angstrom)/Fe(20 Angstrom)/Al(R Angstrom)/Gd(40 Angstrom)] (20/Al(R Angstrom) magnetic multilayer films, where R = 0, 5, 10, 100. Element specified magnetization of Gd layer has been observed with X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) at Gd-L3 edge. The results clearly demonstrate the change of spin reorientations of Gd layer with the change of external magnetic field. The bulk magnetization curves are discussed on the basis of the element specified magnetization curves of Gd and Fe layers. The field, where the direction of the Gd-spin moments is perpendicular to that of the external field, decreases with increasing of the thickness of Al spacer. This indicates that the strength of IMC decrease with increasing the Al thickness which is consistent with the previous conclusion mentioned in J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. Vol. 74, No. 6, (2005), pp. 1843-1848