Interfacial magnetism of fcc Fe and the effect of the oscillatory interlayer coupling on the Ni magnetic properties in Ni/Fe/Co/Cu(100)

Ni/Fe/Co/Cu(100) system was studied using photoemission electron microscope. By analyzing element specific domain images, we found that there exists oscillatory interlayer coupling between the Co and Ni layers across the fcc Fe layer. With the thickness and temperature dependent studies, we found strong evidence that the Fe layers at both the Fe/Co and Fe/Ni interfaces are ferromagnetically ordered in the 4--12 ML thickness range, and that the ferromagnetically ordered layer at the Fe/Ni interface disappears as the temperature exceeds the Curie temperature of the Ni layer. Moreover, the oscillatory interlayer coupling between the Co and Ni layers results in an oscillation of the Ni layer Curie temperature.