Influence of Pd0.99Fe0.01 film thickness on magnetic properties

Experimental study of magnetic properties of Pd0.99Fe0.01 films with 10–60nm thickness is presented. The films with the thickness of 20nm and higher show the ferromagnetic behavior. The film thinning results in qualitative changes of the magnetic properties which consist in the change of magnetization type, in the decrease of coercivity and in the transition from the ferromagnetic to the spinglass behavior. We argue that the magnetic moment of the films can be described as composed of two components, one of which is determined by the inner cluster magnetic moments, and another one originates from the direct exchange and RKKI interactions between the clusters. Presented also are the results of micromagnetic simulations of the magnetic properties of the nanostructured films, which confirm the nature of the ferromagnetism in Pd0.99Fe0.01 films.