Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of R2O3/Fe multilayers

Various rare-earth sesquioxides and iron multilayers have been examined to investigate the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy for iron layers. Both Y2O3 and Yb2O3 layers with the same c-rare-earth structure (cubic) as Eu2O3 make Fe moments perpendicular to the film plane, while Pr2O3/Fe films show usual in-plane anisotropy. Lattice strain through the interfaces is considered to be a primary origin of the anisotropy. Mossbauer measurements with external fields suggest some antiparallel interaction between the perpendicular magnetic domains in Fe layers. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.