Electronic states in magnetic quantum wells and monolayers

Abstract

Using inverse photoemission and photoemission the authors have found that the bulk band structure becomes discretized in highly perfect thin-film structures containing alternating layers of a ferromagnet and a noble metal. In noble metal layers on ferromagnets they find such discrete quantum well states as the Fermi level, which exhibit traits connecting them with oscillatory magnetic coupling. The magnetic oscillation period is determined by the periodicity of their 'envelope' wavefunction.