Molecular-beam-epitaxial growth and magnetic properties of Co-Pt superlattices oriented along the [001], [110], and [111] axes of Pt

Abstract

We report the growth of Co-Pt superlattices along three different crystalline orientations of Pt by MBE (molecular-beam epitaxy). [001], [110], and [111] orientations of Co-Pt superlattices were grown using seeded epitaxy techniques on GaAs substrates. The room-temperature magnetic properties are strongly different for the three orientations. Structural analysis of the superlattices reveals significant differences in interface quality and defect structure for the three different orientations. These effects may play a more important role in the origin of magnetic anisotropy than previously assumed.