90° Magnetization Switching in Thin Fe Films Grown on Stepped Cr(001)

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Abstract
The ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic interfacial interaction was investigated in thin Fe films grown on stepped Cr(001) with the steps parallel to the [100] direction. Above the Néel temperature of the Cr, the atomic steps induce a uniaxial magnetic anisotropy with the easy axis parallel to the step edges. Below the Néel temperature, the Fe-Cr interfacial interaction favors the Fe magnetization perpendicular to the step edges. The competition between the Fe-Cr interaction and the step-induced magnetic anisotropy results in an in-plane 90° magnetization switching from perpendicular to the step edges at low step-density to parallel to the step edges at high step density.