Modification of interlayer exchange coupling in Fe/V/Fe trilayers using hydrogen

•Magnetic films and multilayers.•Thin films.•Hydrogen absorbing materials.•Magnetic measurements.•Exchange coupling. Fe/V/Fe trilayers with constant-thickness Fe and step-like wedged V sublayers were prepared at room temperature using UHV magnetron sputtering. The bottom Fe layer grows onto oxidised Si(100) substrate and shows relatively high coercivity. The top Fe layer grows on vanadium spacer and shows considerably lower coercivity. The planar growth of the Fe and V sublayers was confirmed in-situ by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Results show that the Fe sublayers are weakly exchange coupled for dV>1.4nm. Results on the coercivity studies as a function of the V interlayer thickness show near dV∼1.95nm (∼2.45nm) weak antiferromagnetic (ferromagnetic) coupling, respectively. The hydrogenation of the Fe/V/Fe trilayers leads to increase of the strength of the ferromagnetic interlayer exchange coupling.