Quantitative atomic order characterization of a Mn2FeAl Heusler epitaxial thin film
Authors
Tajiri, Hiroo
Nair, Bhaskaran
Vickers, Mary E
Reiss, Günter
Barber, Zoe
Publication Date
2022-05-05Journal Title
Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics
ISSN
0022-3727
Publisher
IOP Publishing
Volume
55
Issue
18
Language
en
Type
Article
This Version
VoR
Metadata
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Kurdi, S., Sakuraba, Y., Masuda, K., Tajiri, H., Nair, B., Nataf, G. F., Vickers, M. E., et al. (2022). Quantitative atomic order characterization of a Mn2FeAl Heusler epitaxial thin film. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 55 (18) https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6463/ac4e32
Abstract
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title>
<jats:p>In this work, we investigate the effect of anti-site disorder on the half-metallic properties of a Mn<jats:sub>2</jats:sub>FeAl Heusler alloy thin film. The film was grown on TiN-buffered MgO 001 substrates via magnetron sputtering. A detailed structural characterization using x-ray diffraction (XRD) and anomalous XRD showed that the film crystallizes in the partially disordered <jats:italic>L</jats:italic>2<jats:sub>1</jats:sub>
<jats:italic>B</jats:italic> structure with 33% disorder between the Mn(B) and Al(D) sites. We measure a positive anisotropic magnetoresistance in the film, which is an indication of non-half metallic behaviour. Our x-ray magnetic circular dichroism sum rules analysis shows that Mn carries the magnetic moment in the film, with a positive Fe moment. Experimentally determined moments correspond most closely with those found by density functional calculated for the <jats:italic>L</jats:italic>2<jats:sub>1</jats:sub>
<jats:italic>B</jats:italic> structure with Mn(B) and Al(D) site disorder, matching the experimental structural analysis. We thus attribute the deviation from half-metallic behaviour to the formation of the <jats:italic>L</jats:italic>2<jats:sub>1</jats:sub>
<jats:italic>B</jats:italic> structure. To realize a half-metallic Mn<jats:sub>2</jats:sub>FeAl film it is important that the inverse Heusler <jats:italic>XA</jats:italic> structure is stabilized with minimal anti-site atomic disorder.</jats:p>
Keywords
Paper, Condensed matter, Heusler alloy, spintronics, x-ray absorption spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, x-ray magnetic circular dichroism, spin polarization, thin films
Sponsorship
European Commission Horizon 2020 (H2020) Marie Sk?odowska-Curie actions (642642)
Identifiers
dac4e32, ac4e32, jphysd-129496.r1
External DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6463/ac4e32
This record's URL: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/333846
Rights
Licence:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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