Extremely large perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of an Fe(001) surface capped by 5d transition metal monolayers: A density functional study

Abstract

Significant enhancement of the magnetocrystalline anisotropy (MCA) of an Fe(001) surface capped by 4d and 5d transition metal monolayers is presented in this study using first principles density functional calculations. In particular, an extremely large perpendicular MCA of +10 meV/Ir was found in Ir-capped Fe(001), which originates not from the Fe but from the large spin-orbit coupling of the Ir atoms. From the spin-channel decomposition of the MCA matrix and electronic structure analyses, we find that strong 3d-5d band hybridization in the minority spin state is responsible for the sign changes of the MCA from parallel to perpendicular.