Possible evidence for a first-order magnetic phase transition on the Gd(0001) surface

Journal Article · Wed Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1988 · Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.37.9911· OSTI ID:5071024

Weller, D; Alvarado, S F

The magnetic phase transition at the Gd(0001) surface is found to be strongly dependent on the presence of an external magnetic field during cooling across the surface critical temperature T/sub C//sub ,//sub a/. Surface enhanced magnetic order on Gd(0001), present at up to 22 K above the bulk Curie temperature T/sub C//sub ,//sub b/ can be almost quenched if cooling is performed under zero magnetic field conditions. These observations are found on the surface of bulklike epitaxial, remanently magnetized GD(0001) films probed with spin-polarized low energy electron diffraction. In connection with recent theoretical work of Sanchez and Moran-Lopez, who predict magnetic-field-dependent surface first-order phase transitions on close-packed (111) surfaces of fcc spin-(12 Ising ferromagnets, the above observations provide perhaps evidence for the existence of surface first-order phase transitions on the hcp(0001) surface of Gd.

• Research Organization: Research Laboratories, Siemens A.G., D-8520 Erlangen, Federal Republic of Germany
• OSTI ID: 5071024
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter; (United States), Vol. 37:16
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
GADOLINIUM
MAGNETIC PROPERTIES
SURFACE PROPERTIES
CURIE POINT
ELECTRON DIFFRACTION
FILMS
LOW TEMPERATURE
MEDIUM TEMPERATURE
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
COHERENT SCATTERING
DIFFRACTION
ELEMENTS
METALS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RARE EARTHS
SCATTERING
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
TRANSITION TEMPERATURE
360104* - Metals & Alloys- Physical Properties