Recent x-ray magnetic circular dichroism experimental investigations on the magnetism of Pt overlayers deposited on ferromagnetically ordered Co films demonstrated the possibility of controlling the induced magnetic moment in Pt by applying an external electric field [Phys. Rev. Lett. 120, 157203 (2018)]. Based on first-principles calculations, we investigate the electronic and magnetic properties of Pt layers in $\mathrm{Pd}\left(001\right)/\mathrm{Co}/\mathrm{Pt}$ thin film structures exposed to an external electric field. Due to the Co underlayer, the surface Pt layers have induced moments that are modified by an external electric field. The field-induced changes can be explained by the modified spin-dependent orbital hybridization that varies nonlinearly with the field strength. We calculate the x-ray absorption and the x-ray magnetic circular dichroism spectra for an applied external electric field and examine its impact on the spectra in the Pt layer around the $L_2$ and $L_3$ edges. We also determine the layer-dependent magnetocrystalline anisotropy, and we show that the anisotropy can be tuned easily in the different layers by the external electric field.

• Received 28 September 2020
• Accepted 21 January 2021

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.103.064406