POLARIZATION OF PD ATOMS IN NI PD MAGNETIC MULTILAYERS/

Ni/Pd multilayered films with various Ni and Pd layer thicknesses were prepared by electron gun evaporation. These films were all polycrysta ls with (111) preferential orientation. Also, both experimental analys is and computer simulation results indicated the existence of a diffus ion layer at the Ni-Pd interfaces. The nominal magnetic moment per Ni atom measured for these multilayered films varied with change in the N i layer thickness. For a thinner Ni layer, the magnetic moment was sma ller than that of bulk Ni, while it was larger for the thicker Ni laye r. This variation is attributed to the opposite effects of two factors , namely the favourable effect of Pd atom polarization versus the magn etic degradation mainly due to the decrease in the Curie temperature w ith decreasing Ni layer thickness. The effect of Pd atoms polarized by their neighbouring Ni atoms was also verified by the results of therm al annealing the multilayers.