Induced magnetization in thin epitaxial V films on Fe (100)

Abstract

Using spin-polarized secondary and Auger electron spectroscopy we find an induced magnetization in epitaxially grown V adlayers on Fe (100). Spin-dependent attenuation of the secondary electrons is quantitatively treated, following a model by Siegmann, to determine the adlayer magnetization. The first monolayer of V has a negative magnetic moment of -0.3\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.08${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\mu}}}_{\mathit{B}}$ per atom and thus couples antiferromagnetically to the Fe substrate. Subsequent V layers exhibit a positive magnetization. The reduction of the magnetization of Fe at the interface is found to be small. We determine an upper bound $\frac{({M}_{\mathrm{bulk}}\ensuremath{-}{M}_{\mathrm{interface}})}{{M}_{\mathrm{bulk}}}<0.2$ of the relative demagnetization of Fe upon V adsorption.