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Modulated Magnetic Phase Transitions in Short Period EuTe/PbTe Superlattices

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2011

J.J. Chen
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA
G. Dresselhaus
Affiliation:
Francis Bitter National Magnet Laboratory, MIT, USA
M.S. Dresselhaus
Affiliation:
Francis Bitter National Magnet Laboratory, MIT, USA
G. Springholz
Affiliation:
Johannes Kepler Universität Linz, Austria
G. Bauer
Affiliation:
Johannes Kepler Universität Linz, Austria
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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.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1994

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