Structure and magnetic properties of Fe/V (110) superlattices

Structural, magnetic, and magnetotransport properties of Fe/V (110) superlattices have been investigated. Using Al2O3 (<10(2)over bar 0>) substrates and Mo or MoxV1-x allay seed layers, the superlattices could be grown with a large in- and out-of-plane crystal coherence. Due to large strains, magnetoelastic effects give rise to a uniaxial in-plane magnetocrystalline anisotropy with the [001] direction as the easy axis. The anisotropy energy of the strained Fe layers was found to be of similar magnitude as the one of bulk Co. The magnetotransport properties were investigated on a series of superlattice films with the nominal structure Al2O3/Mo (100 Angstrom)/[Fe (23 Angstrom)/V (4-23 Angstrom)](20). For V thicknesses below 15 Angstrom, only anisotropic magnetoresistance effects are present. For larger thicknesses giant magnetoresistance effects are also present, indicating antiferromagnetic coupling across the V interlayers. The interplay between the magnetic anisotropy, hysteresis effects, and the antiferromagnetic coupling is discussed.