Published online by Cambridge University Press: 17 March 2011
Ternary alloys of CoMnGe have been synthesized and characterized using combinatorial molecular beam epitaxy techniques. Structural evolution was studied using real-time scanning reflection high-energy electron diffraction, and magnetic properties were probed using magnetooptic Kerr effect imaging and SQUID magnetometry. Growth and properties on several substrate orientations were explored. These alloys exhibit a rich variety of magnetic and magnetooptic behavior, including a robust phase near Co2MnGe with high spin polarization, Tc, and magnetooptic response. The observed magnetic responses show strong correlation with structural transformations, such that structural ordering leads to enhanced magnetism. The observed magnetic behavior and the alloys’ compatibility with Ge and Si substrates make them potential candidates for spin electronic transport studies and applications.