Exchange coupling of ferromagnetic films across nonmagnetic interlayers

Abstract

We have studied exchange coupling between ferromagnetic films across nonmagnetic intermediate layers by means of light scattering from spin waves and microwave absorption. The ferromagnetic films were Ni0.8Fe0.2 (permalloy) and Fe and we chose Au, Ag, Cu, V, Cr, Pd, Ge, Si, Mn, and Bi as nonmagnetic interlayer materials. As expected the effective interlayer exchange decreases when the interlayer thickness d0 increases. Minimum thickness d0 where the ferromagnetic films are exchange decoupled range between 10 and 40 Å. We compare these results with the concentration dependence of the magnetic ordering temperature in alloys of Fe and Ni with other elements, taking this as a measure for the strength of the exchange. There is a good correspondence which indicates that the coupling effects in the layered structures and the alloys have the same origin which is presumably by RKKY interaction.