A variety of superlattices, multilayers and metastable solids will be fabricated primarily by multi-source advanced sputter deposition, and characteized by x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and other techniques. The superlattices and multilayers are designed to reveal finite-size effects and dimensional crossover in magnetic and superconducting systems with various correlation lengths. The realization and the origin of magnetic surface anisotropy will be investigated. Paticular attention will be paid toward perpendicular magnetization and its probable connection with magnetostriction. In superconductor/magnetic multilayers, experiments are proposed to investigate the relationship between the effects on superconductivity and the magnetic ordering and conductivity of the magnetic layers. A number of metastable solid systems will be studied in order to reveal new properties in structures unattainable by conventional methods.
