The influence of silicon layer on the magnetic anisotropy of ultrathin cobalt layer in Au/Co-wedge/Si-wedge/Au thin film structure was studied using the polar Kerr effect. The thickness gradients of Co and Si layers were perpendicular to each other. The sample was deposited by magnetron sputtering onto (100) silicon wafer covered with (Ni₈₀Fe₂₀/Au)₄ buffer layer. The buffer was chosen to improve the quality of the sample. Due to the negligible coupling between Ni-Fe and Co layers it was possible to extract the magnetooptical signal related to Co layer only.

Thin Co layers sandwiched between Au exhibit a transition from perpendicular anisotropy to in-plane anisotropy with increasing Co thickness. The addition of the Si layer 0-3 nm thick, systematically shifts the transition up to 0.2 nm in the Co thickness. The system does not show any significant changes in the magnetic properties for Si thickness greater than 3 nm. We discuss the changes of the magnetic anisotropy of Co layer as a result of Co-Si mixing at the Co/Si interface.

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