Structural and magnetic properties of Cu/Co and Au/Co multilayers

The structural and magnetic properties of Cu//Co and Au//Co multilayers are studied by X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The results of EXAFS measurements show that thin cobalt layers in Cu/Co and Au/Co multilayers have a different structure imposed by the mismatch with Cu (2%) and Au (14%). The most interesting results for Cu/Co multilayers are provided by magnetic circular X-ray dichroism (MCXD) measurements. The presence of an MCXD signal at the Cu K edge indicates the presence of a p-band moment on copper.