Antiferromagnetic (AFM) thin films are promising materials for inducing perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) in adjacent ferromagnetic (FM) films. This study demonstrates that in a selected AFM spin structure with out-of-plane uncompensated moments, the magnitude of the induced PMA in its neighboring Co/Ni film could be significantly enhanced by the establishment of a collinearlike exchange interaction between the volume moments of the AFM film and the perpendicular magnetic FM film. Detailed magnetic hysteresis loops and x-ray analysis revealed a quench of perpendicular surface anisotropy in a monolayered ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{50}{\mathrm{Mn}}_{50}/\mathrm{Co}/\mathrm{Ni}$ film due to the formation of antiparallel-like coupled Fe and Mn moments. By contrast, the establishment of a three-dimensional quadratic-type AFM spin structure of an ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{50}{\mathrm{Mn}}_{50}$ film triggered parallel-like out-of-plane uncompensated Fe and Mn moments at the interface and reinforced the PMA induced in the Co/Ni film.

• Received 2 July 2017
• Revised 28 August 2017

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.96.094416