Magnetic properties of Fe/Ni bilayers on Cu(100)

Fe/Ni bilayers with various Fe and Ni thicknesses and different deposition sequences have been prepared by molecular beam epitaxy on Cu(100) substrates. Their magnetic properties have been investigated using the magneto-optic Kerr effect. To study magnetic coupling phenomena in the bilayer, the temperature dependence of the magnetic properties has been studied. It is found that the Ni thickness necessary for the bilayer to start to show perpendicular magnetization is consistently larger than that for Ni films on Cu(100). Magnetic live layers have been observed at room temperature at the Ni-Fe interface for bilayers that include a 9-monolayer Fe film. In addition, such bilayers show peculiar temperature-dependent phenomena. Possible mechanisms underlying the temperature dependence of the remanent magnetization and the coercivity are discussed.