Magnetic reversal in rare-earth free Mn4 − xNixN epitaxial films below and above Ni composition needed for magnetic compensation around room temperature

Abstract

Ferrimagnets close to the magnetic compensation are excellent candidates to spin-torque-based spintronic applications, as their small magnetizations allow lowering switching currents. Here, we studied the magnetic compensation of Mn4 − xNixN epitaxial films by performing x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) measurements at the L2,3 absorption edges of Mn and Ni atoms and compared them with those of Ni3FeN films. The XAS spectrum of the Ni3FeN films exhibits shoulders at approximately 2 eV above the Ni L2,3 main peaks, originating from orbitals hybridization between Ni 3d at face-centered (II) sites and N 2p at body-centered sites. However, such shoulders are not observed at the Ni L2,3 edges of the Mn4 − xNixN films (x = 0.1 and 0.25). These results indicate that the orbitals of Ni atoms do not hybridize with those of N atoms. Hence, Ni atoms preferentially occupy corner (I) sites, where hybridization is weak because of the relatively long distance between Ni at I sites and N atoms. The XMCD signals of Mn and Ni atoms reverse sign between x = 0.1 and 0.25. This shows that the directions of the magnetic moments carried by Mn and Ni atoms are reversed, indicating that the magnetic compensation occurs in the range 0.1 < x < 0.25. In addition, the signs of Mn(I) XMCD signals are opposite to those of Mn(II) and Ni for each composition. Thus, the magnetic moments of Ni atoms are aligned parallel to those of Mn(II) regardless of whether x is below or above the compensation point.