X-ray magnetic-circular-dichroism study of Fe/V multilayers

The x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) at the Fe and V 2p edge is measured in Fe/V multilayers. For a V 3 Å/Fe 4.4 Å multilayer, the induced V moment is at least 0.26${\mathrm{\mu }}_{\mathit{B}}$, and it is aligned antiferromagnetically with the Fe layers. The V dichroism signal is revealed to have a complicated structure relative to, e.g., the Fe dichroism signal. We estimate the orbital moment on the V to be 0.13${\mathrm{\mu }}_{\mathit{B}}$, similar to values seen in other ferromagnetic first-row transition metals. Only a lower bound for the V spin moment can be determined (0.13${\mathrm{\mu }}_{\mathit{B}}$), due to the breakdown of the XMCD spin ‘‘sum rule’’ in the case of V.