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Modulated Magnetic Phase Transitions in Short Period EuTe/PbTe Superlattices
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 February 2011
Abstract
[EuTe(ξ)/PbTe(η)]n short period superlattices (SLs) were grown by MBE along the [111] growth direction, with ξ denoting the number of monolayers of EuTe separated by η monolayers of nonmagnetic PbTe, whereby 2 ≤ ξ ≤5 EuTe layers alternate with 6 ≤ξ≤ 15 PbTe layers, such that η= 3ξ.We find that SLs with f = 4 show an antiferromagnetic-like phase transition; those with ξ = 3 and 5 show a ferrimagnetic-like phase transition, while bulk EuTe is a simple two-sublattice antiferromagnet. The transition temperatures Tc for these short period SLs are determined by temperature-dependent magnetization (i.e., M(T)) measurements with field cooling (FC) and zero field cooling (ZFC) cycles. The magnetic ordering temperatures quickly converge from below to the bulk phase Neél temperature 9.6 K, as ξ increases from 2 to 5. We propose a canted antiferromagnetism model to describe M(T) for SLs with ξ = 2 and ξ = 3, consistent with a mean-field analysis of Tc. We also discuss why the magnetic character of EuTe can be modulated from antiferromagnetic to ferrimagnetic.
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- Copyright © Materials Research Society 1994