In-plane magnetic anisotropy of stepped epitaxial Fe(001) thin films probed by x-ray magnetic circular dichroism - art. no. 174411

X-ray magnetic circular dichroism experiments were performed at the Fe L-2, L-3 edges on stepped epitaxial Fe thin films structured by the so-called at omic saw method. The measurements highlight a slight in-plane orbital momen t anisotropy. The orbital moment is larger along the in-plane uniaxial easy magnetization axis corresponding to the crystallographic direction along w hich the tensile strain is relieved. This points out the link between the m agnetocrystalline or magnetoelastic energy and the orbital moment anisotrop y as predicted by Bruno's model. A theoretical approach performed within th e tight-binding formalism corroborates the experimental results by evidenci ng the enhancement of the orbital moment along the more tightly bound direc tion.