Structural transitions and magnetic anisotropy in ultrathin Co wedges on Pt(111) investigated with the magneto-optical Kerr effect

The high sensitivity of the magneto-optical Kerr effect to details of the electronic structure is used to identify a structural transition from fcc to hcp in ultrathin Co(111) wedges on Pt(111). The variation of the Kerr rotation with Co thickness yields two distinct regions: (i) fcc(111) Co in the range 0.4 < dCo < 1 nm and (ii) hcp(0001) Co in the range dCo > 1.2 nm. These regions show characteristic volume and interface magnetic anisotropies. © 1995.