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MA: Fachverband Magnetismus
MA 38: MagneticThin Films I
MA 38.4: Talk
Thursday, March 29, 2012, 10:15–10:30, H 0112
Magnetic properties of epitaxial Nd(1−x)PrxCo5 thin films grown on Al2O3(0001) — •Stephan Zimmermann, Marietta Seifert, Ludwig Schultz, and Volker Neu — IFW Dresden, Institute for Metallic Materials, P.O. 270116, 01171 Dresden, Germany
A series of epitaxial Nd(1−x)PrxCo5 thin films was prepared by pulsed laser deposition and systematically studied as a function of Pr/RE content x (RE – rare earth). As known from previous studies, the hexagonal and isostructural systems NdCo5 and PrCo5 posses a strong magnetocrystalline anisotropy with an uniaxial easy direction parallel to the c-axis at room temperature. For lower temperatures both materials undergo a spin reorientation transition, however into an easy cone and easy plane state for PrCo5 [1] and NdCo5 [2], respectively. In this work we focus on the spin reorientation of the solid solution Nd(1−x)PrxCo5. To achieve a perpendicular anisotropy, the films were grown on a Ru buffered Al2O3(0001) substrate. Structural measurements have proven the epitaxial growth with one single variant and also indicate successful formation of the RECo5 phase, independent of the Pr/RE content x. Hystereses measured at different temperatures reveal a characteristic change of easy direction and were also used to evaluate the anisotropy constants of second and forth order K1 and K2. Furthermore the temperature dependence of the domain structure was investigated for selected samples by magnetic force microscopy.
[1] Patra A.K. et al, PRB 75, 184417 (2007)
[2] Seifert M. et al, JAP 107, 09A711 (2011)