MAGNETIC INPLANE ANISOTROPY OF MBE GROWN CO CU(111) SUPERLATTICES/

The magnetic in-plane anisotropy of molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) grown Co/Cu(111) superlattices is investigated by ferromagnetic resonance ( FMR). It is shown that the sixfold anisotropy contribution expected fo r fcc(111) and hcp(0001) oriented films is small, but nevertheless can be detected. This is mainly due to the resonance condition being gove rned by the derivatives of the free energy density, so that contributi ons from higher order terms enter with higher weighting. Evidence is f ound for a correlation between the in-plane anisotropy parameters and the structural quality as well as the magnetic coupling behaviour. It is proposed to use the sixfold in-plane anisotropy as a very sensitive test for the structural in-plane coherence of thin films and superlat tices containing Co grown on a (Ill)-oriented plane.