By separately identifying magnetic and charge scatter, we find conclusive evidence for conformality in magnetic roughness in {Co (8 Å) Cu (9 Å)} multilayers. For layers magnetized in the easy direction, the magnetic roughness equals the structural roughness but increases when magnetized in the hard direction. The in-plane magnetic correlation length, which changes on magnetization, is several orders of magnitude larger than the structural roughness length scales. The magnetic length scale is of the same order as magnetic ripple observed in Lorentz microscopy and is not associated with domains.

• Received 22 September 1999

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.61.R3792