Roger Ward

Abstract:

The magnetic phase diagram of the competing anisotropy system, Ho/Tm, has been determined by neutron-scattering techniques and the results compared with calculations based on a mean-field model. The crystal-field interactions in Ho favor alignment of the magnetic moments in the basal plane whereas in Tm they favor alignment along the c axis. Single-crystal alloys were grown with molecular-beam epitaxy techniques in Oxford. The components of the magnetic moment along the c direction and in the basal plane were determined from the neutron-scattering measurements. Five distinct magnetic phases, with long-range order, were identified and the magnetic phase diagram, including a pentacritical point, determined. A mean-field model was used to explain the results and the results are in good agreement with the experimental results.

Abstract:

Molecular beam epitaxial methods have been used to grow single crystal Laves phase DyFe2-YFe2 superlattice samples with a (110) growth direction. It is shown that it is possible, in principle, to engineer a desired coercivity between the limits KDyFe2≤K≤∞. This can be achieved by adjusting the relative thickness of the individual DyFe2 and YFe2 layers, in multilayer films This novel feature is illustrated, using the superlattice films [x Å DyFe2/(100-x) Å YFe2] × 40, with x = 80, 60, 50, and 45. It is found that the measured coercivity is in semiquantitative agreement with a simple theoretical expression, for the nucleation fields in both bilayer and multilayer compounds. However, in practice, exchange spring penetration into the DyFe2 layers can set a limit to the maximum coercivity that can be achieved. © 2000 American Institute of Physics.