On the spin reorientation transition in ultra-thin Ni/Cu(001) films

The spin reorientation transition of the magnetization of ferromagnetic films is studied on a microscopic basis within a Heisenberg spin model. Using a modified mean field formulation it is possible to calculate properties of magnetic thin films with non-integer thicknesses. This is especially important for the spin reorientation transition in Ni/Cu(0 0 1), as the magnetic properties are sensitive functions of the film thickness. Detailed phase...