KERR ROTATIONS AND ANISOTROPY IN (PT CO/PT)/X MULTILAYERS/

The link between interface sharpness and perpendicular magnetic anisot ropy (K-perpendicular to) in Pt/Co multilayers has been exploited to y ield enhanced magnetic anisotropy in related multilayer structures. Th ese new multilayers consist of a (Pt/Co/Pt)/Pd stacking sequence where the Pt thickness is of just one atomic monolayer. The extra interface s per period are introduced in areas where the spin polarization is st ill expected to be large thus resulting in extra magnetic anisotropy. K-perpendicular to as high as 5x10(7) erg/cm(3) was measured in Xe spu ttered films with this new period. This idea was extended to (Pt/Co/Pt )/X systems with X=Ag,Cu,Ni. A ten fold increase in K perpendicular to is observed in these films compared to their respective Co/X counterp arts. The Kerr rotation (Theta K) as a function of photon wavelength i s also greatly enhanced by the presence of the Pt monolayers. A strong dependence of Theta K on the spacer element X in these systems is obs erved.