Frank Klose

Strain-induced magnetic phase transition in SrCoO3−δ thin films

It has been well established that both in bulk at ambient pressure and for films under modest strains, cubic SrCoO 3-δ (δ 3-δ films grown on DyScO 3 substrates, which provide a large tensile epitaxial strain, as compared to ferromagnetic films under lower tensile strain on SrTiO 3 substrates. Magnetometry results demonstrate the existence of antiferromagnetic spin correlations and neutron diffraction experiments provide a direct evidence for a G-type antiferromagnetic structure with Neel temperatures between T N ∼135±10K and ∼325±10K, depending on the oxygen content of the samples. Therefore, our data experimentally confirm the predicted strain-induced magnetic phase transition to an antiferromagnetic state for SrCoO 3-δ thin films under large epitaxial strain.

Element-specific depth profile of magnetism and stoichiometry at the La0.67Sr0.33MnO3/BiFeO3 interface

Depth-sensitive magnetic, structural and chemical characterization is important in the understanding and optimization of novel physical phenomena emerging at interfaces of transition metal oxide heterostructures. In a simultaneous approach we have used polarized neutron and resonant X-ray reflectometry to determine the magnetic profile across atomically sharp interfaces of ferromagnetic La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 / multiferroic BiFeO3 bi-layers with sub-nanometer resolution. In particular, the X-ray resonant magnetic reflectivity measurements at the Fe and Mn resonance edges allowed us to determine the element specific depth profile of the ferromagnetic moments in both the La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 and BiFeO3 layers. Our measurements indicate a magnetically diluted interface layer within the La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 layer, in contrast to previous observations on inversely deposited layers. Additional resonant X-ray reflection measurements indicate a region of an altered Mn- and O-content at the interface, with a thickness matching that of the magnetic diluted layer, as origin of the reduction of the magnetic moment.

Tailoring exchange bias through chemical order in epitaxial FePt3 films

Intentional introduction of chemical disorder into mono-stoichiometric epitaxial FePt3 films allows to create a ferro-/antiferromagnetic two-phase system, which shows a pronounced and controllable exchange bias effect. In contrast to conventional exchange bias systems, granular magnetic interfaces are created within the same crystallographic structure by local variation of chemical order. The amount of the exchange bias can be controlled by the relative amount and size of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic volume fractions and the interface between them. The tailoring of the magnetic composition alone, without affecting the chemical and structural compositions, opens the way to study granular magnetic exchange bias concepts separated from structural artifacts.

Enhanced Magnetism in Field-Cooled [Ni80Fe20/Mn]3 Multilayers Studied Using Polarized Neutron Reflectometry

Here, the interfacial magnetic coupling in an exchange biased [Ni80Fe20/Mn]3 multilayer system has been studied using polarized neutron reflectometry. Previous results on this system indicate the importance of the coupling between the Fe-Mn and Ni-Mn orbitals at the layer interfaces. Magnetic depth profiles of the multilayer were measured at low temperatures under field-cooled and zero-field-cooled conditions. While no definitive interfacial state was found, a magnetic moment enhancement of roughly 20-30% in the applied field direction was observed throughout the bulk of the NiFe layers in the field-cooled state as compared to the zero-field-cooled measurements. The origin of this enhancement also likely stems from Fe-Mn and Ni-Mn orbital coupling, but due to the interfacial roughnesses of the sample, the areas where this coupling plays an important role is no longer confined to the interface.

Magnetic order and phase transitions in Fe50Pt50–xRhx

Polarized and unpolarized neutron diffraction techniques have been applied to study the temperature-dependent magnetic and structural properties of four 200u2005nm-thick Fe50Pt50−xRhx films with x = 5, x = 10, x = 17.5 and x = 25. Similar to the bulk system, an antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic transition can be found in the films with decreasing Rh concentration. The application of structure factor calculations enables one to determine the microscopic magnetic configuration of the different films as a function of temperature and Rh concentration. The developed models indicate a magnetic transition from a dominant antiferromagnetic order in the out-of-plane direction to a dominant ferromagnetic order in the in-plane direction with decreasing Rh concentration. The different magnetic configurations can theoretically be described by a phenomenological model which includes a two-ion and a one-ion interaction Hamiltonian term with different temperature dependencies of the anisotropy constants.