Structure and magnetic properties of single-crystal Fe/Au(100) superlattices synthesized using RHEED oscillation

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Abstract
Single‐crystal bcc‐Fe/fcc‐Au(100) artificial superlattices have been synthesized by the molecular‐beam epitaxy (MBE) method using reflection high‐energy electron diffraction (RHEED) intensity oscillation. Magnetic properties of the superlattices consisting of the alternations of about 3.6 ML of Fe and Au layers have been studied. The extrapolated magnetic moment per Fe atom at 0 K is estimated as 2.18±0.10 μB. An enhancement of the Fe moment predicted theoretically has not been observed. The linear temperature dependence of magnetization is observed below 200 K in the Fe/Au superlattices. It turns out that the magnetocrystalline anisotropy (Ku) which points to film normal as an easy axis appears after subtracting the shape anisotropy energy. The magnitude of the Ku corresponds with the value theoretically predicted. Annealing experiments have been also done.