THE NATURE OF THE MAGNETIC STATE IN FE AL MULTILAYERED FILMS/

We have found from experimental data and from our theoretical calculat ions that the interlayer-coupling (ILC) creates a metamagnetic like st ate in the low temperature range in Fe/Al multilayered films. In this range the ILC is predominantly antiferromagnetic (PA) for all of our s amples regardless of the thickness of the nonmagnetic spacer. As the t emperature increases beyond the region mentioned above, the ILC become s predominantly ferromagnetic and the system enters a ferromagnetic-li ke (F-like) phase. The temperature that separates the PA and the F-lik e phase represents a new magnetic transition temperature, in addition to the Curie temperature, in Fe/Al multilayered films.