FIRST-PRINCIPLES CALCULATION OF THE MAGNETIC ANISOTROPY ENERGY OF (CO)N/(X)M MULTILAYERS

The magnetocrystalline anisotropy energies of (Co)1/(X)2, (Co)1/(X)5, and (Co)n/(Pd)m multilayers, where X=Cu and Ag and n+m=3 or 6, have been calculated from first principles by means of the linear muffin-tin orbitals (LMTO) method in the atomic-spheres approximation using the local-spin-density approximation. The easy axes of the multilayers considered are found to be perpendicular to the multilayer plane. The magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy is calculated to be largest for (Co)1/(Pd)2 and decreases with increasing Co thickness. These predictions are in agreement with experiment. © 1990 The American Physical Society.