Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
The out-of-plane orbital magnetic moment of Co in Co/X multilayers (X=Pd, Pt, and Ni) with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy has been investigated using x-ray magnetic-circular-dichroism spectroscopy. The orbital d moment per Co atom, m₎ₑ₁^, is considerably enhanced by (0. 150. 02) ₁ and (0. 070. 02) ₁ in Co/Pd and Co/Pt multilayers, respectively, compared with a single thick Co film. No respective enhancement is found in the case of Co/Ni. This enhancement does not scale with the spin-orbit coupling parameter ₒ₎ of Ni-3d, Pd-4d, and Pt-5d bands despite strong d-d mixing which leads to the presence of ferromagnetic moments of Pd and Pt atoms. However, a roughly linear scaling relation of the out-of-plane orbital moment m₎ₑ₁^ with the intrinsic uniaxial anisotropy constant Kₔ, ₁^Co per Co volume is observed. This experimental finding is interpreted in conjunction with recent ab initio and tight-binding band-structure calculations as evidence for a preferential enhancement of the out-of-plane orbital moment of Co in Co/Pd and Co/Pt multilayers.
Weller et al. (1994) studied this question.