Berlin 2012 – scientific programme
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DS: Fachverband Dünne Schichten
DS 19: Poster I: Multiferroics (jointly with MA, DF, KR, TT), Spins in organic materials (jointly with MA), FePt Nanoparticles (jointly with MA, MM)
DS 19.24: Poster
Tuesday, March 27, 2012, 12:15–15:15, Poster A
Polarized Neutron Reflectometry of Rare-Earth Nitride Thin Films — •Sebastian Brück1,2, David Cortie2, Josh Brown3, Thomas Saerbeck2, Clemens Ulrich1, Frank Klose2, and James Downes3 — 1School of Physics, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia — 2Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization, Lucas Heights, Australia — 3Department of Physics, Macquarie University, Australia
Rare-earth monopnictides like HoN, DyN, or ErN are semiconductors with typical band gaps between 0.73 and 1.3eV. The fact that they exhibit ferromagnetic ordering at low temperatures makes them possible candidates for an intrinsically ferromagnetic semiconductor. Thin, polycrystalline rare-earth nitride films of 15 to 40nm thickness were grown onto c-plane sapphire substrates using low-energy ion assisted deposition. A temperature- and field-dependent polarized neutron reflectometry study in combination with SQUID magnetometry was carried out to characterize the magnetic properties of these films in a depth resolved way. The investigated samples show a homogeneous distribution of the magnetic moment throughout the film with ferromagnetic ordering temperatures comparable to the bulk materials. ErN and HoN films do not show an opening of the magnetic hysteresis loop even for the lowest measured temperature of T=2K. DyN on the other hand clearly shows a coercive field and remnant magnetization at 5K.