QUANTUM-WELL STATES AND MAGNETIC COUPLING BETWEEN NOBLE-METALS AND FERROMAGNETS

We have searched for the electronic states that mediate oscillatory ma gnetic coupling in superlattices, and have found strong evidence that these are quantum well states, which are created by quantizing the mom entum of s,p-band states perpendicular to the interfaces. In noble met al layers on ferromagnets we find such states at the Fermi level, wher e they are able to influence magnetic coupling and transport. They exh ibit several traits connecting them with oscillatory magnetic coupling , such as periodicity and spin polarization.