Influence of exchange coupling on the Ni magnetization in Co/Cu/Ni trilayers

The X-ray magnetic circular dichroism has been used to study trilayers cons isting of two ferromagnets (Ni, Co) separated by a non-magnetic spacer (Cu) . The coupling of Ni and Co layers was found to be both ferromagnetic and a nti-ferromagnetic depending on spacer thickness. Two magnetization curves v anishing at two different temperatures were recorded for Ni and Co in a cou pled trilayer. For Ni, this temperature is larger than the Curie temperatur e (T-c) of the Cu-capped Ni layer, due to the effect of interlayer exchange coupling. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.