LASER-ABLATION DEPOSITION OF METALLIC-FILMS AND BILAYERS (FE, RARE-EARTH AND R FE BILAYERS)/

Various metallic films (W, Fe, rare earth metals) and R/Fe (R = Gd, Tb ) bilayers have been deposited using laser ablation deposition (LAD). In all systems single-crystalline films have been obtained and the epi taxial relationships are described. Specific conditions are in particu lar required for the growth of R elements on top of Fe. In agreement w ith previous measurements, a large in-plane anisotropy is found for (1 10) Fe films on (110) W, which is attributed to surface and interface anisotropies. The temperature dependence of the magnetization in R/Fe bilayers reveals that R-R exchange interactions are dominant in the R elements. The field dependence of the magnetization in these systems i s analyzed.