Ab initio study of the origin of the dead magnetic Ni layers at the Ni/Pt(1 1 1) interface

Two recent experimental works based on X-ray magnetic circular dichroism and superconducting quantum interference on Ni/Pt(1 1 1) superlattices have displayed very different magnetic behavior. One reports evidence of magnetically “dead” layers whereas in further work, no magnetically dead Ni layers were found. These magnetically different behavior can be explained by density functional calculations on various structural configurations at the interface. One Ni buried layer at the interface gives a good description of the magnetic profile reported experimentally on one hand, whereas two or three NiPt alloyed layers at the interface confirm the magnetic dead Ni atoms measured on the other hand.