Exotic structures on magnetic multilayers

To characterize the possible magnetic structures created on magnetic multil ayers a model has been formulated and studied. The interlayer inhomogeneous structures found indicate either (i) a regular periodic, (ii) a quasiperio dic change in the magnetization or (iii) spatially chaotic glass states. Th e magnetic structures created depend mainly on the ratio of the magnetic an isotropy constant to the exchange constant. With the increase of this ratio the periodic structures first transform into the quasiperiodic and then in to the chaotic glass states. The same tendency arises with the depolarizati on of the magnetic moments of the first layer deposited on the substrate. ( C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.