Abstract
Below its ordering temperature (T N = 90 K), bulk bcc Eu has a helical magnetic state with propagation vectors along the three equivalent 〈100〉 directions. In contrast, epitaxial (110)Eu films exhibit a unique magnetic ordering: the domain with a magnetic helix propagating along the in-plane [001] direction vanishes on cooling, at the expense of other domains with helices propagating along [100] and [010]. This paper is devoted to the study of the stability of the magnetic domains in an external magnetic field using neutron scattering experiments and macroscopic magnetization measurements. The helix propagating along the [001] direction can be restored by the application of an external field along this direction. On the contrary, when a magnetic field is applied along an intermediate direction, specifically [\( \bar 1 \)10], the domain with a helix propagating along [001] is suppressed. Both effects depend on the film thickness. They are explained if one considers that, because of the low magnetic anisotropy of Eu, a helix with a propagation vector parallel to (or close to) the applied magnetic field is energetically more favourable than cycloidal structures with unchanged propagation vectors. Finally, the amplitudes of the propagation vectors and their directions (that are modified in films compared to bulk) do not vary under magnetic field.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
J. Jensen, A.R. Macintosh, Rare earth magnetism (Oxford Science Publications, 1991)
K. Dumesnil, C. Dufour, P. Mangin, M. Hennion, Phys. Rev. B 54, 6407 (1996)
K. Dumesnil, C. Dufour, P. Mangin, M. Hennion, Europhys. Lett. 31, 43 (1995)
F. Tsui, C.P. Flynn, Phys. Rev. Lett. 71, 1462 (1993)
C. Dufour, K. Dumesnil, A. Mougin, P. Mangin, M. Hennion, J. Phys.: Cond. Matter 9, L131 (1997)
J.A. Borchers, M.B. Salamon, R.W. Erwin, J.J. Rhyne, R.R. Du, C.P. Flynn, R.S. Beach, Phys.Rev. B 43, 3123 (1991)
C. Dufour, K. Dumesnil, S. Soriano, P. Mangin, P.J. Brown, A. Stunault, N. Bernhoeft, Phys. Rev. B 66, 094428 (2002)
P.S. Clegg, J.P. Goff, G.J. McIntyre, R.C.C. Ward, M.R. Wells, Phys. Rev. B 67, 174414 (2003)
B.J. Beaudry, P.E. Palmer, J. Less Common Metals 34, 225 (1974)
N.G. Nereson, C.E. Olsen, G.P. Arnold, Phys. Rev. 135, A176 (1964)
R.M. Bozorth, J.H. Van Vleck, Phys. Rev. 118, 1493 (1960)
A.S. Bulatov, O.V. Kovalev, Sov. Phys. Solid State, vol. 30, 266 (1988)
A.H. Milhouse, K.A. McEwen, Solid State Com. 13, 339 (1973)
S. Soriano, K. Dumesnil, C. Dufour, D. Pierre, J. Crystal Growth 265, 582 (2004)
S. Soriano, K. Dumesnil, C. Dufour, T. Gourieux, Ph. Mangin, J.A. Borchers, A. Stunault, Phys. Rev. B 71, 092409 (2005)
S. Soriano, C. Dufour, K. Dumesnil, J.A. Borchers, Ph. Mangin, Appl. Phys. Lett. 85, 4636 (2004)
K.A. McEwen, G.J. Cock, L.W. Roeland, A.R. Mackintosh, Phys. Rev. Lett. 30, 287 (1973)
C. Sürgers, M. Schöck, H.V. Löhneysen, Surf. Sci. 471, 209 (2001)
A. Mougin, C. Dufour, K. Dumesnil, N. Maloufi, Ph. Mangin, G. Patrat, Phys. Rev. B 59, 5950 (1999)
H. Zabel, J. Phys. Cond. Matter. 11, 9303 (1999)
A. Herpin, Théorie du magnétisme (INSTN-PUF, 1968)
T. Nagamiya, K. Nakata, Y. Kitano, Prog. Theor. Phys. (Kyoto) 27, 1253 (1962)
A.E. Clark, Handbook on the physics and chemistry of rare earths, edited by, K.A. Gschneider Jr, L. Eyring (North Holland Publishing, 1979), Vol. 2, Chap. 15
P.G. Evans, E.D. Isaacs, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 39 (2006) R245
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Soriano, S., Dufour, C., Dumesnil, K. et al. Magnetic ordering in (110) Eu films in an applied magnetic field. Eur. Phys. J. B 63, 469–478 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2008-00255-1
Received:
Revised:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2008-00255-1