Effects of epitaxial strain in Er/Lu thin films

Journal Article · Mon Apr 15 04:00:00 EDT 1991 · Journal of Applied Physics; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.348351· OSTI ID:5692348

Beach, R S ^[1]; Borchers, J A; Erwin, R W; Rhyne, J J ^[2]; Matheny, A; Flynn, C P; Salamon, M B ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics and Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801 (USA)
2. National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899 (USA)

A series of {ital c}-axis Er films ranging in thickness from 400 to 9500 A were grown on lutetium base layers to investigate the effects of epitaxial growth on the magnetic properties of bulk erbium. Neutron diffraction studies show that the basal plane lattice parameter of Er approaches the smaller Lu value as the films are made thinner. Below {ital T}{sub {ital N}} the phase angles of the Er spin modulation are diminished from bulk Er values in the thinner films. For all but two 800-A films, there is evidence from bulk magnetization and neutron data of a first-order transition to a conical ferromagnetic state, similar to bulk Er. These phenomena are compared to the properties of Er films grown on yttrium, whose basal plane spacing exceeds that of Er. In these systems the turn angles are greater than bulk and the ferromagnetic phase is suppressed. This contrasting behavior is consistent with predictions from a magnetoelastic energy model of epitaxial constraint developed to describe the Er/Y systems.

• OSTI ID: 5692348
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics; (USA), Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics; (USA) Vol. 69:8; ISSN 0021-8979; ISSN JAPIA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360101 -- Metals & Alloys-- Preparation & Fabrication
360104* -- Metals & Alloys-- Physical Properties
COHERENT SCATTERING
DIFFRACTION
ELEMENTS
EPITAXY
ERBIUM
FILMS
LATTICE PARAMETERS
LAYERS
LUTETIUM
MAGNETIC PROPERTIES
MAGNETIZATION
METALS
MOLECULAR BEAM EPITAXY
NEUTRON DIFFRACTION
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RARE EARTHS
SCATTERING
STRAINS
THIN FILMS