Epitaxial growth, perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, and domain structure of co/pt(311) and (111) multilayers

We have simultaneously grown (Formula presented) (Formula presented) multilayers on Pt(311) and Pt(111) planes by molecular beam epitaxy. The Pt(311) and Pt(111) seeding layers were prepared on (Formula presented) and (Formula presented) respectively. New epitaxial relations between Pt and Mo layers in both cases are established by electron and x-ray diffraction. The Co/Pt multilayers on Pt(311) were grown mainly as a (311) structure but mixed with a small amount of (211) phase. The Co/Pt(311) multilayers display large perpendicular magnetic anisotropy with results comparable to those of the (111) samples. In addition, the Co/Pt(311) multilayers exhibit stripelike magnetic domain structure with domain displacement growing along the [01¯1] azimuth, in marked contrast to the (111) multilayers which show a very irregular domain structure.