SPIN REVERSAL IN CO/AU(111)/CA TRILAYERS

In Co/Au(111)/Co trilayers exhibiting oscillatory interlayer coupling, we show how the nature and the strength of this interaction modify the magnetization reversal. In the case of antiferromagnetic (AF) coupling the magnetic domain patterns observed by Faraday microscopy differ drastically according to the amplitude of the coupling. This effect can be understood on the basis of the fluctuations of the effective field acting on a layer produced by the roughness of the Au interlayer. Among the ferromagnetically (F) coupled layers slighter differences are visible that can be accounted by changes of the anisotropy energy.