Spin-dependent x-ray absorption in Co/Pt multilayers

Spin-dependent absorption spectroscopy or circular magnetic x-ray dichroism studies at the L2,3 edges of 5d atoms in ferromagnetic hosts have been used to investigate the spin-density distribution of the empty d-projected states and thus the local magnetic moment of the absorbing 5d atoms. This method was applied to study the average polarization of the Pt atom in Co/Pt multilayers with different modulation lengths. The spin-dependent absorption profiles for vapor-deposited [25(4 Å Co+x Å Pt), x=9, 16, 23, 30, 40] multilayers indicate a significant average Pt polarization decreasing with the layer thickness. The experimental results are discussed in comparison with spin-polarized relativistic band-structure calculations (linear muffin-tin-orbital calculations).