CORRELATION BETWEEN THE MICROSCOPIC AND MACROSCOPIC MAGNETIC-PROPERTIES IN ULTRATHIN FE CU(100)-FILMS/

The magnetic properties of ultrathin iron films on Cu(100), grown at 3 00 and 100 K, were investigated by the magneto-optic Kerr effect (MOKE ). In the thickness range up to about 11 monolayers, we observe a rich variety of unusual magnetic phases and properties. In particular, Fe films deposited at 300 K exhibit a pronounced peak of the coercive fie ld upon transition from the ferromagnetic phase to the live layer phas e. We develop a domain model, which explains this behavior by correlat ing the microscopic and macroscopic magnetic properties. (C) 1998 Else vier Science B.V. All rights reserved.