Oscillatory Interlayer Magnetic Exchange Coupling Through Chromium Layers

The evidences o f antiferromagnetic interlayer exchange coupling in Ni₈₀Fe₂₀/Cr multilayers are reported. In Ni₈₀Fe₂₀/Cr multilayers, both the magnitude of the interlayer magnetic exchange coupling and the saturation rnagnetoresis-tance were found to oscillate with the Cr spacer layer thickness with a period of about 13Å. Moreover, temperature dependence of magnetization shows a much larger thermal hysteresis for an antiferromagnetically coupled film than that for a ferromagnetically coupled film; in addition, zero magnetization occurs at 1.5 K in small magnetic field of 100 Oe for an antiferromagnetic film.