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Magnetic order in Dy/Lu superlattices

1992; Elsevier BV; Volume: 104-107; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/0304-8853(92)91602-p

1873-4766

R. S. Beach, J. A. Borchers, R. W. Erwin, C. P. Flynn, A. Matheny, J. J. Rhyne, M. B. Salamon,

Magnetic and transport properties of perovskites and related materials

Several superlattices containing alternate layers of the rare earth elements dysprosium and lutetium were grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Neutron diffraction shows that these samples develop a helical phase in the (≈40 Å) Dy layers at TN = 178 K which propagates coherently across the nonmagnetic Lu (20–55 Å thick). The Dy layers order ferromagnetically at temperatures which vary from 140 to 160 K (the ferromagnetic phase in the bulk material appears at 85 K). Below TC the ferromagnetic Dy layers may be either aligned or anti-aligned. The transition is accompanied by a distortion of the superlattice basal plane comparable to that which occurs in bulk Dy. We also observe an approximately 80 K increase in TC in thin Lu/Dy(< 150 Å)/Lu films. We discuss how the observed high TC may be related to the elastic coupling of the Dy to Lu.