The magnetic anisotropy of Fe/Cu multilayers has been investigated using dc magnetization, ferromagnetic resonance, and Brillouin light scattering. All three techniques yield equivalent results, which can be attributed to the lack of higher-order terms in the uniaxial anisotropy energies. The intrinsic anisotropy is first-order uniaxial with the easy axis perpendicular to the layers and is interpreted with a simple phenomenological mdoel utilizing a surface anisotropy of 0.32 erg/${\mathrm{cm}}^2$ at each interface.

• Received 11 April 1995

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.52.3045