Giant Perpendicular Magnetic Anisotropy of a Fe(001) Surface: A Density Functional Study

  • Odkhuu, D. (Department of Physics and Energy Harvest Storage Research Center, University of Ulsan) ;
  • Rhim, S.H. (Department of Physics and Energy Harvest Storage Research Center, University of Ulsan) ;
  • Yun, Won Seok (Department of Physics and Energy Harvest Storage Research Center, University of Ulsan) ;
  • Hong, S.C. (Department of Physics and Energy Harvest Storage Research Center, University of Ulsan)
  • Published : 2013.12.05

Abstract

We predict agigantic perpendicular magnetocrystalline anisotropy (MCA) in Fe (001) capped by 5d transition metal (TM) overlayers by using first principles calculations. Analysis of atom-by-atom contribution to MCA reveals that gigantic MCA as large as 11 meV/TM originates not from Fe atoms but from the 5d TMs through the strong spin-orbit coupling. More specifically, it is the hybridization between TM and Fe d orbitals that also induces non-negligible magnetic moments in TM. Furthermore, spin-channel decompositions of MCA matrix with and without the presence of Fe substrate identify the electronic origin of the perpendicular MCA that the down-down channel contribution plays the most crucial role for the sign changes of MCA of TM overlayers upon the hybridization with Fe-3d.

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