Effect of a Cu spacer between Co and Pt layers on the structural and magnetic properties in (Co/Cu/Pt)5/Pt type multilayers

We investigate the effect of inserting an ultrathin Cu layer at Co/Pt interfaces in a (Co/Pt) multilayer with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. We observe a clear correlation between structural properties probed by laser-assisted atom probe tomography and magnetic properties such as effective anisotropy. While Co and Pt are strongly mixed in a standard (Co/Pt) multilayer, inserting a thin Cu layer at Co/Pt interfaces strongly reduces the Co-Pt interdiffusion, leading to a well-defined layered stack with improved effective anisotropy. Such elements are of great importance for spintronic devices that require materials with high perpendicular magnetic anisotropy.