In-situ magnetic measurements of electrodeposited ultrathin Co, Ni and Fe/Au(111) layers

Abstract

This work presents preliminary in-situ alternating gradient field magnetometry measurements at the electrochemical interface. The technique is used for the first time for real time determination of the magnetic state of ultrathin layers during their electrochemical growth. Electrochemical measurements complement this study and structural information, using in-situ STM, is presented to discuss the magnetic behavior of the different films. Particular attention is given to magnetization anisotropy, and the results give evidence for strong differences between M/Au(111) interfaces, with M = Co, Ni and Fe. The easy axis of magnetization is in-plane for nickel, regardless of the film thickness, whereas the magnetization is out-of-plane for cobalt and iron below a critical thickness t*≈1–2 and 2–3 ML respectively. Above t* the magnetization rotates to take the in-plane orientation.