Substrate Induced Strain Field in FeRh Epilayers Grown on Single Crystal MgO (001) Substrates

[en] Equi-atomic FeRh is highly unusual in that it undergoes a rst order meta-magnetic phase transition from an antiferromagnet to a ferromagnet above room temperature (Tr ≈ 370 K). This behavior opens new possibilities for creating multifunctional magnetic and spintronic devices which can utilise both thermal and applied eld energy to change state and functionalise composites. A key requirement in realising multifunctional devices is the need to understand and control the properties of FeRh in the extreme thin lm limit (tFeRh < 10 nm) where interfaces are crucial. Here we determine the properties of FeRh lms in the thickness range 2.5–10 nm grown directly on MgO substrates. Our magnetometry and structural measurements show that a perpendicular strain eld exists in these thin films which results in an increase in the phase transition temperature as thickness is reduced. Modelling using a spin dynamics approach supports the experimental observations demonstrating the critical role of the atomic layers close to the MgO interface.

Disciplines :

Physical, chemical, mathematical & earth Sciences: Multidisciplinary, general & others

Author, co-author :

Barton, C. W.

Ostler, Thomas ; Université de Liège > Département de physique > Physique des matériaux et nanostructures

Huskisson, D.

Kinane, C. J.

Haigh, S. J.

Hrkac, G.

Thomson, T.

Language :

English

Title :

Substrate Induced Strain Field in FeRh Epilayers Grown on Single Crystal MgO (001) Substrates

Publication date :

12 April 2017

Journal title :

Scientific Reports

eISSN :

2045-2322

Publisher :

Nature Publishing Group, London, United Kingdom

Volume :

Pages :

44397

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Additional URL :

http://www.nature.com/articles/srep44397

Funders :

EPSRC - Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
DTRA - United States. Department of Defense. Defense Threat Reduction Agency
ULg - University of Liège

Funding text :

The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the UK EPSRC through grant number EP/K008412/1, EP/K008501/1 and EP/G03737X/1. S.J. Haigh Acknowledges support of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency grant number HDTRA1-12-1-0013. Additionally, we would like to thank G. Stenning for help on the Rigaku Smartlab diffractometer instrument in the Materials Characterisation Laboratory at the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source. T.A. Ostler gratefully acknowledges the Marie Curie incoming BeIPD COFUND fellowship program at the University of Liège.

Available on ORBi :

since 13 April 2017

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