Spin reorientation at the antiferromagnetic NiO(001) surface in response to an adjacent ferromagnet

Polarization dependent x-ray photoemission electron microscopy was used to investigate the spin structure near the surface of an antiferromagnetic NiO (001) single crystal in response to the deposition of a thin ferromagnetic Co film. For the cleaved NiO surface we observe only a subset of bulklike a ntiferromagnetic domains which is attributed to minimization of dipolar ene rgies. Upon Co deposition a spin reorientation near the NiO interface occur s, with the antiferromagnetic spins rotating in plane, parallel to the spin s of the Co layer. Our results demonstrate that the spin configuration in a n antiferromagnet near its interface with a ferromagnet may significantly d eviate from that in the bulk antiferromagnet.