Onset of spin-density-wave antiferromagnetism in Cr/V multilayers

Journal Article · Sun Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 2007 · Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVB.76.024421· OSTI ID:20946388

Kravtsov, E ^[1]; Brucas, R; Hjoervarsson, B; Liebig, A ^[2]; Hoser, A ^[3]; McIntyre, G J ^[4]; Milyaev, M A; Ustinov, V V ^[5]; Nefedov, A; Radu, F; Remhof, A; Zabel, H ^[1]; Paolasini, L; Yakhou, F ^[6]

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1. Institut fuer Experimentalphysik/Festkoerperphysik, Ruhr-Universitaet Bochum, D-44780 Bochum (Germany)
2. Department of Physics, Uppsala University, SE-75121 Uppsala (Sweden)
3. Institut fuer Kristallographie, RWTH-Aachen, D-52056 Aachen (Germany)
4. Institut Laue-Langevin, F-38042 Grenoble (France)
5. Institute of Metal Physics, 620219 Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation)
6. European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, F-38043 Grenoble (France)

Spin-density-wave (SDW) magnetism in a series of Cr/V heterostructures with different Cr thicknesses was systematically investigated by combined resistivity, neutron, and synchrotron scattering measurements. We show that the onset of the bulklike SDW state comes through several necessary steps from a paramagnetic state through a commensurate SDW to an incommensurate SDW. The Neel temperature for the incommensurate SDW is found to scale with Cr thickness and reaches the bulk value at a Cr thickness of about 2000 A. The proximity effect from Cr/V interfaces is found to lead to (i) the appearance of a 50-A magnetically dead Cr layer near Cr/V interfaces and (ii) suppression of the spin-flip transition and stabilization of a single-domain SDW with out-of-plane spins and out-of-plane propagation wave vector. Finally, we show that the SDW period increases with decreasing Cr thickness and becomes temperature independent in sufficiently thin Cr layers.

• OSTI ID: 20946388
• Journal Information: Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, Journal Name: Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 76; ISSN 1098-0121
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ANTIFERROMAGNETIC MATERIALS
ANTIFERROMAGNETISM
CHROMIUM
DENSITY
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
INTERFACES
LAYERS
NEEL TEMPERATURE
NEUTRON DIFFRACTION
PARAMAGNETISM
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PROXIMITY EFFECT
RINGS
SPIN
SPIN FLIP
SYNCHROTRONS
THICKNESS
VANADIUM
WAVE PROPAGATION