Hysteretic Spin-density-wave Ordering in Confined Geometries

Journal Article · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 2003 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.91.237201· OSTI ID:1003234

Fullerton, E. E. ^[1]; Robertson, Lee ^[2]; Prinsloo, A. R. ^[3]; Bader, S. D. ^[4]

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1. San Jose Research Center
2. ORNL
3. Rand Afrikaans University, South Africa
4. Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)

We have measured the antiferromagnetic spin-density-wave (SDW) order in Cr/Cr{sub 97.5}Mn{sub 2.5}(001) superlattices. The Mn doping creates a high Neel temperature layer that confines the incommensurate SDW order within the Cr layers. With temperature cycling we observe a transition from commensurate to incommensurate SDW order and discrete changes in the SDW period. We find that these transitions show significant hysteresis (up to 75 K) when the number of SDW nodes within the Cr layer changes by an odd number, while there is no hysteresis for changes of an even number of nodes. This results from the competition between maintaining the spin structure at the interfaces and introducing a spin slip at the nodes of the Cr SDW.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); High Flux Isotope Reactor
• Sponsoring Organization: SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 1003234
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 23 Vol. 91; ISSN 1079-7114; ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ANTIFERROMAGNETISM
CHROMIUM
COMPETITION
DENSITY
DOPED MATERIALS
HYSTERESIS
INTERFACES
LAYERS
MANGANESE
NEEL TEMPERATURE
SLIP
SPIN
SPIN WAVES
SUPERLATTICES