Moment mapping of body-centered-cubic Fe{sub x}Mn{sub 1−x} alloy films on MgO(001)

Journal Article · Thu May 07 00:00:00 EDT 2015 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4914127· OSTI ID:22409925

Bhatkar, H. ^[1]; Arenholz, E. ^[2]

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1. Department of Physics, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717 (United States)
2. Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories, Berkeley, California 59717 (United States)

The alloy composition and elemental magnetic moments of bcc single crystal films of compositionally graded Fe{sub x}Mn{sub 1−x} films (20 nm thick films with 0.8 ≤ x ≤ 0.9) grown on MgO(001) are spatially mapped using X-ray absorption spectroscopy and magnetic circular dichroism. Electron diffraction measurements on single composition samples confirmed that the structure of Fe{sub x}Mn{sub 1−x} films remained epitaxial and in the bcc phase from 0.65 ≤ x ≤ 1, but rotated 45° with respect to the MgO(001) surface net. This is beyond the bulk bcc stability limit of x = 0.88. The Fe moment is found to gradually reduce with increasing Mn content with a very abrupt decline at x = 0.85, a slightly higher composition than observed in the bulk. Surprisingly, the Mn exhibits a very small net moment (<0.1 μ{sub B}) at all compositions, suggesting a complex Mn spin structure.

• OSTI ID: 22409925
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 117, Issue 17; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
BCC LATTICES
CONCENTRATION RATIO
ELECTRON DIFFRACTION
EPITAXY
INTERMETALLIC COMPOUNDS
IRON
MAGNESIUM OXIDES
MAGNETIC CIRCULAR DICHROISM
MAGNETIC MOMENTS
MANGANESE
MAPPING
MONOCRYSTALS
PHASE STABILITY
SPIN
SURFACES
X-RAY SPECTROSCOPY