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Solid State Commun. 87 (1993) pp. 317-320

Influence of interdiffusion on the interfacial magnetism in Fe/Ru superlattices

T. Schulthess

Institut für Angewandte Physik, ETH-Hönggerberg, CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland

S. Crampin

Institute for Theoretical Physics, Catholic University of Nijmegen, Toernooiveld, NL-6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands

R. Monnier

Laboratorium für Festkörperphysik, ETH-Hönggerberg, CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland

Abstract
We study the effect of interdiffusion on the magnetism of two Fe/Ru superlattices representative of the two structures proposed in the literature. Our approach is a combination of the layer Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker method with the multiple-scattering spin-polarised version of the coherent-potential approximation. We find that even a 20% alloying in the boundary planes produces only an insignificant reduction of the Fe moments at the interface, so that interdiffusion cannot be at the origin of the magnetically dead layers observed in these systems. From an analysis of results for bulk alloys we deduce that local geometrical relaxation and possibly on-site Coulomb interactions of the Fe 3d electrons are responsible for the moment suppression.