The film growth and morphology of epitaxial Mn films grown on Fe(001) singl
e-crystal whiskers measured with scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) provid
es insight into the mechanism of interlayer exchange coupling in Fe/Mn/Fe(0
01) trilayers. The proximity model of Slonczewski for exchange coupling thr
ough an antiferromagnet predicts that the coupling angle between the ferrom
agnetic layers will oscillate around a mean value of 90 degrees with an amp
litude that is very sensitive to the width of the thickness distribution of
the spacer layer. We measure the thickness distribution with the STM and f
ind that the coupling angle variation predicted by the proximity model is q
ualitatively consistent with the actual coupling angle variations in Fe/Mn/
Fe(001)measured with scanning electron microscopy with polarization analysi
s (SEMPA). Going beyond the proximity model and allowing for a non-uniform
magnetization of the thin Fe overlayer provides an improved explanation of
the results. We contrast the behavior of Fe/Mn/Fe(001),where the proximity
model appears applicable, to coupling through antiferro-magnetic Cr in Fe/C
r/Fe(001), where it is not, and discuss possible reasons for the difference
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