Tailoring perpendicular magnetic coupling by XMCD

The elemental perpendicular magnetic anisotropy constants of both elements of a 20 nm bcc Co88Mn12 alloy film grown on MgO(001) and capped with Al, have been determined. By fitting a Stoner-Wohlfarth astroid model to the measured Co and Mn L3 XMCD peak intensities as a function of incidence photon angle with the magnetic field applied co-axially with the photon propagation direction, the elemental perpendicular anisotropy constants were found to be −6.46 x 105 J/m3 and −6.68 x 105 J/m3, respectively. The modeling of the Co and Mn data both result in nearly the same anisotropy constant as expected for a single alloy film.