Origin of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in epitaxial Pd/Co/Pd(111) trilayers

Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in epitaxial Pd/Co/Pd(111) trilayered films grown on Si(111) substrate was investigated. Contributions to perpendicular magnetic anisotropy from the bottom and top Co/Pd interfaces were deduced by replacement of Pd layers by Cu layers and comparative analysis of the magnetic anisotropy in the samples. Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in Pd/Co/Pd films was induced both by interface electronic effects and by stress caused by lattice mismatch between Pd and Co. Due to asymmetry of the stress in the Co film, the contribution to magnetic anisotropy induced by the bottom Co/Pd interface was stronger than that induced by the top Pd/Co interface. The energy of the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and asymmetrical contributions from the bottom Co/Pd and top Pd/Co interfaces to anisotropy in Pd/Co/Pd trilayers strongly depend on the thickness of the bottom and top Pd layers and may be precisely controlled. The roughness of the interfaces does not have a large influence on the energy of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in this system.