Controlling magnetic interfaces using ordered surface alloys

We have investigated the growth and magnetic properties of Fe thin films on the clean W(100) surface and W(100)-M c(2 x 2) (M = Cu, Ag, Au) surface alloy substrates. The influence of the interface on magnetism is assessed experimentally by studying sensitive threshold behavior in magnetic ordering using spin-polarized low-energy electron microscopy. The onset of ferromagnetic order that occurs with increasing film thickness at room temperature due to finite-sized scaling of the Curie temperature varies reproducibly among films on W(100) and the surface alloys. Magnetic moments and exchange coupling constants of the magnetic ground states are also determined theoretically for films with ideal interfaces by first-principles density functional theory calculations. These microscopic quantities are consistently enhanced in Fe films on the noble metal-induced surface alloys compared to their values in films on the clean W(100) surface. We attribute the systematic variation of magnetic onset observed experimentally to the competition between the intrinsically enhanced magnetic coupling and moments on the surface alloy substrates and several extrinsic factors that could suppress magnetic ordering, including intermixing, substrate and film roughness, and surface alloy disorder. Tendencies for intermixing are explored theoretically by determining the energy barrier for noble metal segregation. Despite these possible extrinsic effects, the results suggest that the use of the broad class of ordered surface alloys as alternative substrates may offer greater opportunities for manipulating thin film magnetism.