Ferromagnetic gadolinium foils for transient field experiments

Abstract

Ferromagnetic Gd-foils were prepared in a thickness range of 100 μg/cm 2 to 8 mg/cm 2 using vacuum evaporation-condensation techniques. Diffusion barriers had to be found, because the ferromagnetic structure cannot be achieved below 700-K substrate temperature. Thick layers (0.5–20 mg/cm 2) of Al, Si, Ag, and Au had to be evaporated on both sides of the Gd-foils to be used as target, recoil stopper or just heat conductor.