Interface and magnetic anisotropy in Tb/Fe multilayers

Abstract Tb/Fe multilayers have been obtained by vacuum evaporation and condensation on substrates kept at 90 and 420 K. In samples obtained at low temperature, the interface between Fe and Tb is rather abrupt. The angle τ between the iron magnetic moments and the normal to the layers plane, increases from 30° at 4.2 K to 80° at 300 K for Tb(17 A)/Fe(33 A) and from 50° to 90° for Tb(39 A)/Fe(40 A). In Tb(39 A)/Fe(40 A); a sample obtained on substrate kept at 420 K, an alloy takes place between Tb and Fe, τ is 30° and does not change from 4.2 K to room temperature. The effect of the alloyed interlayer is to enhance the perpendicular anisotropy.