Abstract
Step-induced magnetic anisotropy was investigated in Fe films grown on a vicinal Ag(001) substrate using the surface magneto-optic Kerr effect technique. We found that the step-induced magnetic anisotropy is independent of the Fe film thickness up to 61 ML. Step decoration with Ag or Pd atoms also shows no effect on the step-induced magnetic anisotropy. These results indicate that the step-induced magnetic anisotropy in this system does not localize at the step edges. We suggest that strain inside the Fe film due to the large lattice mismatch between fcc Ag and bcc Fe in the normal direction of the film is the dominant contribution to the step-induced magnetic anisotropy in this system.
| Original language | English |
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| Pages (from-to) | 1-6 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics |
| Volume | 65 |
| Issue number | 18 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2002 |