Electronic structure and magnetism of CuNi coherent modulated structures

Abstract

The electronic structure and magnetism of coherent modulated structures of CuNi for varying numbers of Cu and Ni layers modulated along [111] and [100] directions has been determined theoretically by means of self-consistent spin polarized LMTO energy band studies and compared with experiment and with theoretical results separately obtained for bulk fcc and tetragonally distorted Ni metal. The magnetic moments in the Ni layers in CuNi are found to be reduced relative to that of fcc Ni indicating that the enhanced magnetism deduced from earlier ferromagnetic resonance observations must arise from other sources. These predictions have been confirmed recently by direct magnetization and neutron magnetic scattering studies.