Interaction effects in disordered multilayers

Interaction effects in a series of disordered Co/Cu multilayers have been s tudied at low applied fields. The samples had Cu thickness t(Cu) chosen to give antiferromagnetic (AF) and ferromagnetic (FM) coupling. From measured remanence curves, both switching field distributions and DeltaM curves have been determined. AF coupled films exhibit globally demagnetizing interacti ons. However, the interactions in the FM coupled films exhibit magnetizing interactions for thinner Cu layers and competing magnetizing and demagnetiz ing interactions for thicker Cu spacer layers. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.