UNIFIED APPROACH TO THICKNESS-DRIVEN MAGNETIC REORIENTATION TRANSITIONS

The magnetic structure of wedge-shaped Co/Au(111) films has been analy zed in the thickness range of around five monolayers where a reorienta tion transition takes place. The detection of two critical thicknesses with an apparently new phase in between them can be understood by evo king general considerations of stability and coexistence of phases. Th e analysis in terms of thickness-driven evolution in the anisotropy sp ace of the system leads to the determination of the surface anisotropy constants of first and second order in a most direct and consistent m anner.