Bulk and near-surface magnetic properties of FeRh thin films

Journal Article · Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 EDT 2008 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2837247· OSTI ID:21137299

Ding, Y ^[1]; Arena, D A ^[2]; Dvorak, J ^[3]; Ali, M; Kinane, C J; Marrows, C H; Hickey, B J ^[4]; Lewis, L H ^[5]

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1. Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York, 11973 (United States)
2. National Synchrotron Light Source, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York, 11973 (United States)
3. Department of Physics, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, 59717 (United States)
4. School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT (United Kingdom)
5. Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02115 (United States)

Epitaxial Fe{sub 48}Rh{sub 52} thin films of nominal thickness 500 A were grown on MgO (001) substrates via molecular beam epitaxy and capped with 20 A of either Au or MgO. The presence of the anticipated magnetostructural phase transition from antiferromagnetism to ferromagnetism at {approx}350 K was confirmed by superconducting quantum interference device and magneto-optic Kerr effect magnetometry. X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) experiments were carried out at the L{sub 2,3} edges; measurements were done in both total electron yield (TEY) mode and indirect transmission mode. At room temperature, the indirect transmission XMCD data show no detectable dichroism, consistent with bulk antiferromagnetic behavior. However, room-temperature TEY data originating from the films' surface reveal an appreciable dichroic signal indicating the presence of ferromagnetism. This near-surface/interfacial magnetism may be modified by choice of capping layer; the MgO-capped sample exhibited a considerably smaller ferromagnetic XMCD signal. The results have potential impact on the application of FeRh thin films as temperature-variable pinning layers in exchanged-biased systems.

• OSTI ID: 21137299
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 103, Issue 7; Conference: 52. annual conference on magnetism and magnetic materials, Tampa, FL (United States), 5-9 Nov 2007; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2837247; (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ANTIFERROMAGNETIC MATERIALS
ANTIFERROMAGNETISM
BINARY ALLOY SYSTEMS
CRYSTAL GROWTH
FERROMAGNETIC MATERIALS
FERROMAGNETISM
IRON ALLOYS
KERR EFFECT
MAGNESIUM OXIDES
MAGNETIC CIRCULAR DICHROISM
MAGNETIC PROPERTIES
MOLECULAR BEAM EPITAXY
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
RHODIUM ALLOYS
SQUID DEVICES
SUBSTRATES
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0273-0400 K
THIN FILMS
X RADIATION