Magnetic properties of Eu-Fe thin films

We studied the formation of alloys and compounds of the Eu-Fe binary system, in the form of thin films, prepared using molecular beam epitaxy. Diffraction and photoelectron spectroscopy investigations revealed mixing of the elements during the annealing at relatively low temperature. Magnetic studie...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of applied physics 2013-05, Vol.113 (17)
Main Authors: Balin, Katarzyna, Nowak, Anna, Szade, Jacek, Wojtyniak, Marcin, Wilgocka-Ślęzak, Dorota, Ślęzak, Michał, Giela, Tomasz, Korecki, Józef, Celinski, Zbigniew
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:We studied the formation of alloys and compounds of the Eu-Fe binary system, in the form of thin films, prepared using molecular beam epitaxy. Diffraction and photoelectron spectroscopy investigations revealed mixing of the elements during the annealing at relatively low temperature. Magnetic studies showed ferromagnetic behavior up to 400 K, and strong thermomagnetic effects and exchange bias indicating the presence of an antiferromagnetic phase and superparamagnetic particles. X-ray photoemission microscopy with dichroic contrast confirmed this hypothesis, showing two types of Eu-Fe alloys with various stoichiometries and showing ferromagnetically ordered particles of 100–500 nm in size. Ferromagnetic particles contain divalent Eu atoms, whereas the antiferromagnetic alloy is probably composed of the trivalent Eu atoms detected in the photoelectron spectra.
ISSN:0021-8979
1089-7550
DOI:10.1063/1.4797622