Local magnetic states and hyperfine interactions in Fe/Ti magnetic superlattices

Multilayer Fe/Ti films are synthesized by deposition in a Penning discharge. Measurements are made of thhe static hysteresis loops and Mossbauer spectra on Fe-57 nuclei. The hyperfine magnetic field distribution functions are calculated. It is established that the spontaneous magnetization of Fe/Ti magnetic superlattices undergoes very strong oscillations as a function of the Ti layer thickness. Three groups of peaks are noted in the hyperfine field distribution functions, corresponding to three nonequivalent states of the Fe ions, in one of which these ions do not have a characteristic magnetic moment, These results also agree with measurements of the temperature dependence of the magnetization in weak magnetic fields. For some Ti interlayer thicknesses the saturation magnetization scaled to the Fe content is much higher than the saturation magnetization of bulk Fe. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.