Dependence of magnetoelastic anisotropy on Ni-sublayer thickness in Ni/Pd nanomultilayers

Abstract

We have investigated the dependence of magnetoelastic anisotropy energy on the Ni-sublayer thickness in Ni/Pd nanomultilayers to examine the contribution of magnetoelastic anisotropy to perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) observed in Ni/Pd nanomultilayers. Magnetoelastic anisotropy energy was quantitatively determined by delicate in situ stress and ex situ magnetostriction coefficient measurements, It was found that the magnetoelastic anisotropy for the samples prepared at 2-mTorr Ar sputtering pressure is largely dependent on the Ni-sublayer thickness: the magnetoelastic anisotropy is varied from 4.6 x 10(5) to -0.8 x 10(5) erg/cm(3). However the magnetoelastic anisotropy for the samples prepared at 7 mTorr is nearly constant with varying the Ni sublayer thickness: the magnetoelastic anisotropy of 3.5(+/-0.7) x 10(5) erg/cm(3) is observed, irrespective of the Ni-sublayer thickness.