Continuous spin reorientation transition in epitaxially grown antiferromagnetic NiO thin films

Journal Article · Tue Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 2011 · Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.84.012406· OSTI ID:1026807

Li, J; Arenholz, E; Meng, Y; Tan, A; Park, J; Jin, E; Son, H; Wu, J; Jenkins, C A; Scholl, A; Hwang, Chanyong; Qiu, Z Q

Fe/NiO/MgO/Ag(001) films were grown epitaxially, and the Fe and NiO spin orientations were determined using x-ray magnetic dichroism. We find that the NiO spins are aligned perpendicularly to the in-plane Fe spins. Analyzing both the in-plane and out-of-plane spin components of the NiO layer, we demonstrate unambiguously that the antiferromagnetic NiO spins undergo a continuous spin reorientation transition from the in-plane to out-of-plane directions with increasing of the MgO thickness.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: Advanced Light Source Division; Materials Sciences Division
• DOE Contract Number: DE-AC02-05CH11231
• OSTI ID: 1026807
• Report Number(s): LBNL-4912E; TRN: US1105135
• Journal Information: Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, Vol. 84, Issue 1; ISSN 1098-0121
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
DICHROISM
EPITAXY
SPIN
SPIN ORIENTATION
THICKNESS
THIN FILMS