Hydrogen in thin epitaxial metal films and superlattices: structure, magnetism, and transport

Hydrogen in thin epitaxial films and superlattices has gained renewed inter est because of the hydrogen-induced novel optical and magnetic switching pr operties that have recently been unraveled. In this contribution we present new results on the effect of hydrogen on the structural properties of epit axial Y-films and the H-D isotope exchange in the trihydride phase. We also report on magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements of the magnetic hystere sis in Fe-(3)/V-(x) superlattices as a function of the hydrogen pressure. H ere x refers to the number of V monolayers varying from 11 to 16 and the Fe layer thickness fixed at three monolayers. Without hydrogen the superlatti ce is antiferromagnetic (AFM) for x between 12 and 14 and ferromagnetic(FM) in all other cases. With hydrogen loading the coupling can be switched fro m AFM to FM and vice versa. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.