Symmetry-Induced Magnetic Anisotropy in Fe Films Grown on Stepped Ag(001)

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Symmetry breaking at atomic steps of ultrathin Fe films grown on stepped Ag(001) substrates creates a uniaxial magnetic anisotropy with the easy axis parallel to the step edges. The relation between this induced anisotropy and the step density is systematically investigated by magneto-optically scanning films grown on a curved substrate with a vicinal angle range between 0° and 10°. We find that (a) the uniaxial anisotropy depends quadratically on the step density, and (b) the spin-reorientation transition occurs at a larger thickness for the stepped than for the flat film.