Dresden 2003 – scientific programme
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MA: Magnetismus
MA 22: Magnetische dünne Schichten III
MA 22.11: Talk
Thursday, March 27, 2003, 12:45–13:00, HSZ/04
Preparation of thin films of UH3, and their magnetic and magneto-optical properties — •D. Kolberg1, R. Eloirdi2, F. Wastin2, T. Gouder2, and J. Schoenes1 — 1Institut für Halbleiterphysik und Optik, und Hochmagnetfeldanlage, TU Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstr. 3, D-38106 Braunschweig — 2European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Transuranium Elements, Postfach 2340, D-76125 Karlsruhe, Germany
UH3 was the first actinide compound ever observed to be a ferromagnet [1]. Unfortunately, bulk uranium metal becomes a powder during hydrogenation. On the other hand, one can grow thin films of uranium with a properly chosen capping layer to achieve hydrogenation and to avoid oxydation. We have grown thin uranium films of different thicknesses using a sputter technique, followed by a cap layer of Pd, and characterised the films via in-situ XPS. Before and after hydrogenation, one can easily study the magnetic properties of the films using SQUID magnetometry. Like in the bulk material, UH3 films show ferromagnetic behaviour below about 180 K. In this contribution we will demonstrate the growth of thin uranium films, structural effects occurring during the hydrogenation, and the resulting magnetic properties of UH3. Finally, first magneto-optical measurements on UH3 thin films will be presented. Financial support of the DFG (Scho 642/2), and the European Community-Access to Research Infrastructure action, contract HPRI-CT-2001-00118, is acknowledged.
[1] R. Troć and W. Suski, J. Alloys Comp. 219 (1995) 1