PREDICTION AND CONFIRMATION OF PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC-ANISOTROPY IN CO/NI MULTILAYERS

On the basis of first-principles (local-spin-density-approximation) calculations of the magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy we have predicted a perpendicular orientation of the magnetization in a [111]fcc Co1/Ni2 multilayer. This multilayer was then grown by vapor deposition and found to have the predicted properties. The saturation magnetization of 1 T is much larger than that of known magnetic multilayers with perpendicular anisotropy.