Spin-density-wave magnetism in Cr studied by perturbed angular correlationspectroscopy

We compare the results obtained by the perturbed angular correlation (PAC) technique with data obtained from the same samples by neutron diffraction e xperiments. We report on the study of a 250 nm thick Cr film and an Fe/Cr ( 25 nm) multilayer grown on Nb/Al2O3 (1 1 0 2). The chromium film orders bel ow T-N = 330 K as a AF(2) SDW with the spins out-of-plane, while the Cr in the Fe/Cr multilayer orders as an AF(1) SDW with the spins in-plane. In the se samples, we no observe a minority volume fraction in the AF(0) phase, st able up to at least 400 K. These results validate PAC as a complementary ap proach towards the study of the Cr magnetic ordering in thin films and Fe/C r multilayers. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.