Antiferromagnetic magnetostatic coupling in Co/Au/Co films with perpendicular anisotropy

Magnetization reversal processes in Au/Co/Au-wedge/Co/Au pseudo-spin-valve structures characterized by perpendicular anisotropy of 0.6-nm-thick Co layers were investigated by magneto-optical Kerr effect. The samples were deposited on a Ti/Au buffer layer of differing Au-layer thickness (different surface roughness and crystallite size). The distinctive influence of the buffer layer thickness on the dependences of switching fields, and energy of the effective interlayer coupling, versus Au spacer thickness is presented. In particular, increasing the buffer-layer thickness results in a decrease in the oscillation amplitude of the Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida-type interaction and in the enhancement of the antiferromagnetic coupling related to magnetostatic (orange peel) interactions. (C) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.