Anisotropic spin structure along the easy axis of magnetization in epitaxially grown MnAs/GaAs(100) thin films

Journal Article · Wed May 07 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4861206· OSTI ID:22273927

Cui, Y.; Lee, J. J.; Ketterson, J. B. ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208 (United States)

We grew epitaxial MnAs thin films on GaAs(100) substrates using molecular-beam epitaxy and investigated their magnetic properties. The crystal orientation of the film was type-B. Measurements of the film's magnetization revealed two-fold symmetric magnetic anisotropy on its surface, with the easy and hard directions of magnetization along GaAs[1{sup ¯}10](MnAs[1{sup ¯}1{sup ¯}20]) and GaAs[110](MnAs[11{sup ¯}02]), respectively. We found breakage of the uniaxial anisotropy in magnetization along the easy direction of magnetization for both the magnetization versus magnetic field and magnetization versus temperature measurements. We suggest that the origin of this peculiar pinned ferromagnetism in the MnAs layer is the spin-exchange interaction between the MnAs film and the ultra-thin Mn layer formed at the interface of MnAs film and GaAs(100) substrate.

• OSTI ID: 22273927
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics Journal Issue: 17 Vol. 115; ISSN JAPIAU; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ANISOTROPY
CRYSTALS
FERROMAGNETISM
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
HETEROJUNCTIONS
INTERFACES
LAYERS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC PROPERTIES
MAGNETIZATION
MANGANESE ARSENIDES
MOLECULAR BEAM EPITAXY
SPIN
SPIN EXCHANGE
SUBSTRATES
TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT
THIN FILMS