V.P. Nascimento

Influence of grain refinement and induced crystal defects on the magnetic properties of Ni50Mn36Sn14 Heusler alloy

The effect of high energy ball milling on the structural, magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of Ni50Mn36Sn14 Heusler-type alloy has been studied. X-ray diffraction results have revealed a reduction in the crystalline grain size concomitantly with defect inclusions in the crystalline lattice, favouring a chemical disorder effect that transforms the L21–B2-type disordered structure to a simple cubic B2-type structure for increasing milling time. From magnetometry and Mossbauer spectroscopy results, a decrease in the ferromagnetic exchange interaction contribution, an enhancement of the effective exchange bias field and a significant reduction in the magnetic entropy change of the milled alloy are observed.

Ferromagnetic properties of fcc Gd thin films

Magnetic properties of sputtered Gd thin films grown on Si (100) substrates kept at two different temperatures were investigated using X-ray diffraction, ac magnetic susceptibility, and dc magnetization measurements. The obtained Gd thin films have a mixture of hcp and fcc structures, but with their fractions depending on the substrate temperature TS and film thickness x. Gd fcc samples were obtained when TS = 763 K and x = 10 nm, while the hcp structure was stabilized for lower TS (300 K) and thicker film (20 nm). The fcc structure is formed on the Ta buffer layer, while the hcp phase grows on the fcc Gd layer as a consequence of the lattice relaxation process. Spin reorientation phenomenon, commonly found in bulk Gd species, was also observed in the hcp Gd thin film. This phenomenon is assumed to cause the magnetization anomalous increase observed below 50 K in stressed Gd films. Magnetic properties of fcc Gd thin films are: Curie temperature above 300 K, saturation magnetization value of about 175 emu/cm3, and coercive field of about 100 Oe at 300 K; features that allow us to classify Gd thin films, with fcc structure, as a soft ferromagnetic material.

Single magnetic domain precipitates of Fe/Co and Fe and Co in Cu matrix produced from (Fe-Co)/Cu metastable alloys

Structural and magnetic properties of nanocrystalline Fe2Co and (Fe2Co)0.30 Cu0.70 alloys prepared by high energy ball milling have been studied basically by x-ray, Mossbauer spectroscopy and magnetization measurements. For the Fe2Co alloy case, the Mossbauer measurements indicate that the sample with 160 hours of milling has two magnetic components with the same average hyperfine parameters: one magnetic crystalline component associated with the bcc Fe2Co phase and another component attributed to the small particles of the same bcc Fe2Co phase (SP-Fe2Co). (Fe2Co)0.30Cu0.70 alloys have been prepared by milling in two different ways: (1) starting from the mixture of Fe2Co milled alloy and pure Cu powders (sample I) and (2) milling of the elemental powder mixture of Fe, Co and Cu (sample II). The x-ray diffraction and bulk magnetization results of samples I and II indicate the formation of a (Fe2Co)0.30Cu0.70 supersaturated solid solution, with features of a ferromagnetic material and Tc at about (420±1) K. High temperature magnetization measurements of the (Fe/Co)Cu milled materials show particle precipitation effects. Heat treatment at 675 and 875 K of the final milled materials leads to different results: in the sample I case to the precipitation of single magnetic Fe/Co particles into the Cu matrix, and in the case of sample II the precipitation of single magnetic particles of Fe and of Co into the Cu matrix.

Influence of chemical pressure in Sn-substituted Ni2MnGa Heusler alloy: Experimental and theoretical studies

The influence of the chemical pressure on the magneto-structural properties of the Ni2MnGa Heusler alloy after a gradual substitution of Ga by Sn atoms was theoretical and experimentally studied in this work. Our data clearly show that an expansion of the L21-cell volume due Sn-substitution causes a diminution of the internal structural stress and favors the austenitic state in low temperatures where martensitic phase should prevail. It is also shown that the total magnetization reduces with increasing Sn-content, a behavior explained by a reduction of the Ni-magnetic moment, since an increase of Mn-magnetic moment was theoretically calculated. The Sn-substitution effect in the Ni2MnGa compound is similar to that found in experiments performed under high applied magnetic fields, which means that in both cases there is an increase of the L21 cell-volume favoring the austenitic state in low temperatures. Magnetization values in martensitic state of the pure Ga-compound systematically reduce after consecutive M(T) thermal cycle recorded at 5 mT; an effect not yet reported within our knowledge and attributed here to modifications in local magnetic anisotropies during the field cycles.

The role of the (111) texture on the exchange bias and interlayer coupling effects observed in sputtered NiFe/IrMn/Co trilayers

Magnetic properties of sputtered NiFe/IrMn/Co trilayers grown on different seed layers (Cu or Ta) deposited on Si (100) substrates were investigated by magnetometry and ferromagnetic resonance measurements. Exchange bias effect and magnetic spring behavior have been studied by changing the IrMn thickness. As shown by X-ray diffraction, Ta and Cu seed layers provoke different degrees of (111) fcc-texture that directly affect the exchange bias and indirectly modify the exchange spring coupling behavior. Increasing the IrMn thickness, it was observed that the coupling angle between the Co and NiFe ferromagnetic layers increases for the Cu seed system, but it reduces for the Ta case. The results were explained considering (i) different anisotropies of the Co and IrMn layers induced by the different degree of the (111) texture and (ii) the distinct exchange bias set at the NiFe/IrMn and IrMn/Co interfaces in both systems. The NiFe and Co interlayer coupling angle is strongly correlated with both exchange bias ...

Evidence of small crystallites in milled Fe/Co alloy observed by Mössbauer spectroscopy

Structural and magnetic properties of nanocrystalline Fe0.67Co0.33 alloy prepared by high energy ball milling have been studied by x-ray diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy. The x-ray diffraction pattern of the sample milled for 160 hours indicates the existence of a single bcc phase. On the other hand, Mössbauer measurements, at different temperatures, show that the milled sample has two magnetic components with the same average hyperfine parameters. One sextet component is associated with large crystallites of bcc Fe0.67Co0.33 alloy, stable in vacuum up to 825 K and the other component is attributed to small crystallites of Fe0.67Co0.33, alloy having sizes in the range from 10 to 18 nm.

Spin valve heterostructures built using the shadowing effect: Setting NiFe and Co magnetization directions for non-collinear couplings

An experimental method was developed to set the magnetization direction in ferromagnetic layers of Si(100)/Cu/NiFe/Cu/Co/IrMn/Cu morphologically modified spin valves. Large uniaxial anisotropies emerged in the NiFe and Co layers due to modifications of their morphologies induced by the shadowing effect that arises from oblique depositions. Therefore, we set the uniaxial anisotropy axes in pre-set directions by controlling the sputtered beam direction relative to the sample reference. We were able to tune the angle between the magnetization directions of the NiFe and Co layers in a continuous interval from 0° to 90° due to the interplay between the Co and NiFe uniaxial anisotropies and the unidirectional anisotropy at the Co/IrMn interface. This type of non-collinear coupling cannot be found in conventional spin valve devices with passive spacers through which the coupling is governed by bilinear and biquadratic couplings. The methodology of preparation proposed here allows an extra control over the magnetism of the spin valves, which can be promising for technological applications.An experimental method was developed to set the magnetization direction in ferromagnetic layers of Si(100)/Cu/NiFe/Cu/Co/IrMn/Cu morphologically modified spin valves. Large uniaxial anisotropies emerged in the NiFe and Co layers due to modifications of their morphologies induced by the shadowing effect that arises from oblique depositions. Therefore, we set the uniaxial anisotropy axes in pre-set directions by controlling the sputtered beam direction relative to the sample reference. We were able to tune the angle between the magnetization directions of the NiFe and Co layers in a continuous interval from 0° to 90° due to the interplay between the Co and NiFe uniaxial anisotropies and the unidirectional anisotropy at the Co/IrMn interface. This type of non-collinear coupling cannot be found in conventional spin valve devices with passive spacers through which the coupling is governed by bilinear and biquadratic couplings. The methodology of preparation proposed here allows an extra control over the magnet...