Finite electric field effects in the large perpendicular magnetic anisotropy surface Pt/Fe/Pt(001)

TL;DR

This study uses first-principles calculations to explore how electric fields influence the magnetic anisotropy of the Pt/Fe/Pt(001) surface, revealing a linear reduction linked to induced spin density, primarily from the Fe layer.

Contribution

It provides a detailed first-principles analysis of electric field effects on magnetic anisotropy in a high-anisotropy surface system, highlighting the dominant role of the Fe layer.

Findings

Magnetic anisotropy decreases linearly with inward electric field.

Induced spin density around Fe correlates with anisotropy reduction.

Intrinsic MAE mainly originates from the Fe layer.

Abstract

We have investigated crystalline magnetic anisotropy in the electric field (EF) for the Fe-Pt surface which have a large perpendicular anisotropy, by means of the first-principles approach. The anisotropy is reduced linearly with respect to the inward EF, associated with the induced spin density around the Fe layer. Although the magnetic anisotropy energy (MAE) density reveals the large variation around the atoms, the intrinsic contribution to the MAE is found to mainly come from the Fe layer.