Easy Direction Research Articles

Effect of Thermal Processing on the Structural and Magnetic Properties of Epitaxial Co2FeGe Films

The structure and magnetic properties of epitaxial Heusler alloy films (Co2FeGe) deposited on MgO (100) substrates were investigated. Films of 60 nm thickness were prepared by magnetron co-sputtering at different substrate temperatures (TS), and those deposited at room temperature were later annealed at various temperatures (Ta). X-ray diffraction confirmed (001) [110] Co2FeGe || (001) [100] MgO epitaxial growth. A slight tetragonal distortion of the film cubic structure was found in all samples due to the tensile stress induced by the mismatch of the lattice parameters between Co2FeGe and the substrate. Improved quality of epitaxy and the formation of an atomically ordered L21 structure were observed for films processed at elevated temperatures. The values of magnetization increased with increasing TS and Ta. Ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) studies revealed 45° in-plane rotation of the easy anisotropy axis direction depending on the degree of the tetragonal distortion. The film annealed at Ta = 573 K possesses the minimal FMR linewidth and magnetic damping, while both these parameters increase for another TS and Ta. Overall, this study underscores the crucial role of thermal treatment in optimizing the magnetic properties of Co2FeGe films for potential spintronic and magnonic applications.

Enhancing magnetostriction in FeAl alloys via crystal growth orientation tuning by a trace amount of Pt doping

Iron-based cubic alloy systems opened the door to the development of magnetostrictive materials with moderate magnetostriction, low cost, and good mechanical properties. At the as-cast state, the grain growth orientation of these alloy systems is close to random, which deteriorates magnetostriction. Doping with certain elements can tune the growth orientation to enhance magnetostriction. However, the driving force for the crystal growth along preferential orientation is still not clear. Here in this work, revealed by density functional theory (DFT) calculation, Pt doping can tune the crystal growth direction of FeAl along <100> crystal direction (same as easy magnetization direction), which can be utilized to realize 90° domain-switching and thus magnetostriction is enhanced greatly. These are confirmed by experimental results. The magnetostriction increases from 29 ppm to 80 ppm, representing a 176% enhancement through doping with 0.4 at.% Pt. The maze magnetic domain structures, observed by magnetic force microscope, are also preferentially <100> oriented and feature stripes. In consideration of the similarity between this study and our previous study on FeGa alloy (C. Zhou et al., 2020), it can be expected that our methods can be extended to other magnetostrictive materials and help develop polycrystals with desired orientations.

Structure and magnetostriction in Nd0.25Tb0.3Dy0.45 (Fe0.9B0.1)1.93 compound

We investigate the structural, magnetic, and magnetostrictive properties of a Nd-containing Nd0.25Tb0.3Dy0.45(Fe0.9B0.1)1.93 (NTDFB) alloy. X-ray diffraction and electron backscatter diffraction analyses reveal that NTDFB exhibits a homogeneous Laves phase, contrasting with the multiphase nature of the boron-free counterpart. At room temperature, the spontaneous and saturation magnetostrictions of NTDFB are 2094 ppm and 1447 ppm, respectively, representing enhancements of 15.9% and 29.5% compared to boron-free samples. Another intriguing finding is that the introduction of Nd effectively alters the spin reorientation temperature of Terfenol-D (Tb0.3Dy0.7Fe1.93) and narrows the temperature span of easy magnetic direction (EMD) along < 100 > . NTDFB undergoes two spin reorientations, with the EMD transitioning from < 111 > to < 100 > at TSR1 173 K and from < 100 > to < 110 > at TSR2 92 K, contrasting with TSR1 245 K and TSR2 25 K of Terfenol-D. Additionally, the introduction of Nd into Terfenol-D effectively increases its magnetostriction coefficient,λ110 and λ100. As a result, NTDFB, with a raw material cost 80% that of Terfenol-D, exhibits magnetostriction values exceeding 1000 ppm from 300 to 20 K, indicating its cost-effectiveness and promising potential as a magnetostrictive alloy.

Magnetic properties of bamboo-like Ni-Zn-in nanowires using 3D-AAO templates

In this paper, using three-dimensional porous alumina (3D-AAO) as a template, Ni-Zn-In nanowires array with periodically changing diameters was successfully prepared by direct current electrodeposition method. The effect of deposition voltage on the morphology, crystal structure and magnetic properties of Ni-Zn-In ternary alloy nanowires was studied. The experimental results show that the diameters of the nanowires are 212 nm and 151 nm, and the periodic length is 800 nm, which matches the pore size of the phosphoric acid-etched 3D-AAO template. XRD results indicate that the crystal structure of Ni-Zn-In nanowires can be adjusted by the deposition voltage. The VSM results reveal that the Ni-Zn-In nanowires possess soft magnetic properties and significant magnetic anisotropy, with the easy magnetization direction parallel to the film. The nanowires deposited at −1.5 V exhibit the highest coercivity of 161 Oe and squareness of 0.045. Micromagnetic simulations show that the magnetization reversal mechanism of the Ni-Zn-In nanowires is localized nucleation mode.

The energy of 180° domain walls of uniaxial crystals with the different magnetocrystalline anisotropy type

The main aim of the present work is to analyze the magnetocrystalline anisotropy (MCA) energy function of uniaxial crystals and to derive analytical expressions for the domain wall (DW) energy taking into account two MCA constants. Thus, the article presents a detailed analysis of the magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy function of uniaxial crystals taking into account two MCA constants (K1, K2). The values of the MCA energy extremes and the position of the easy magnetization directions (EMD) and hard magnetization directions (HMD) were determined. The MCA diagram was plotted in “K1”-“K2” coordinates. Six types of MCA have been found for uniaxial crystals. Two of them are simple with one maximum and one minimum of the EA(θ) function, and four are complex with two absolute and one local extreme for each. It is shown that EA(K1, K2) function has the smallest difference between the maximum and minimum values equal to |K1|/4 and the smallest angle between EMD and HMD equal to π/4 when the K1 + K2 = 0 condition is met. Analytical expressions for the 180° Bloch domain wall energy surface density (γ) were derived for uniaxial crystals with each MCA type. It is found that the γ(K1, K2) function has a minimum, equal to γ=2A|K1| when the relation K1 + K2 = 0 between MCA constants is satisfied. The derived analytical expressions are useful for a detailed spin-reorientation transition analysis. To illustrate this, examples of the application of the obtained results to MCA analyses of real crystals and DW energy calculations are given.

Effect of element doping on the structural stability, magnetic properties and electronic structure of SmCo5-based rare earth permanent magnets

Doping transition metals has been proven as an effective method to enhance the performance of Sm-Co based rare earth permanent magnets. However, due to the complex interactions involved, the specific effects on magnetic properties, atomic occupancy preferences and structural stability mechanisms are still to be further investigated. In this study, we systematically investigated the influence of various transition metal dopants on the structural stability, magnetic properties and electronic structure of SmCo5 rare earth permanent magnet using first-principles calculations. Our calculations show that Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn elements preferentially occupy the 3 g site, while Sc and Zr tend to occupy the 1a site, and Fe elements have a preference for the 2c site. Regarding structural stability, doping with Sc, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn and Zr all contribute to enhancing structural stability, while Ti and V doping exhibit adverse effects. Magnetic calculations indicate that doping with Mn and Fe significantly increases the total magnetic moment of the SmCo5 system. Notably, at a high doping concentration of 60 at%, the Ni and Zn-doped systems exhibit an exceptionally large magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy Additionally, a change in the magnetic easy axis direction occurs when the doping concentrations of Cr, Fe, Cu and Zn reach 60 at%, 40 at%, 40 at% (and 60 at%), 40 at% (and 60 at%), respectively. Our work provides important theoretical guidance for further optimizing the performance of Sm-Co based rare earth permanent magnets.

In-plane hard magnetic BaFe12O19 thin films grown on a-plane Al2O3 112¯0 substrates

Ferrimagnetic barium hexaferrite (BaFe12O19) thin films of varying thicknesses were grown on a-plane Al2O3 112̅0 substrates at elevated temperatures using pulsed laser deposition. X-ray diffraction measurements, Raman spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy analyses were used to investigate the BaFe12O19 film growth and structure. The results indicate that the formation of an α-Fe2O3 ‘bridge layer’ promotes the growth of a BaFe12O19 phase showing an in-plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy with an easy-axis of magnetization along the [ 0001 ] hexagonal c-axis direction. The crystallographic relationship between the existing phases is given by BaFe12O19 101̅0 //α-Fe2O3 112̅0 //Al2O3 112̅0. As the thickness increases, the fraction of the BaFe12O19 phase increases further. This is accompanied by a change in grain morphology turning from a columnar to a more elongated shape, where the short axis of the BaFe12O19 grains points along the [ 0001 ] easy axis direction.

Boundary-induced phase in epitaxial iron layers

We report on the discovery of a boundary-induced body-centered tetragonal iron phase in thin films deposited on MgAl2O4 (001) substrates. We present evidence for this phase using detailed x-ray analysis and density functional theory calculations. A lower magnetic moment and a rotation of the easy magnetization direction are observed, as compared with body-centered cubic iron. Our findings expand the range of known crystal and magnetic phases of iron, providing valuable insights for the development of heterostructure devices using ultrathin iron layers. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Anisotropic SmFe10V2 Bulk Magnets with Enhanced Coercivity via Ball Milling Process.

Anisotropic bulk magnets of ThMn12-type SmFe10V2 with a high coercivity (Hc) were successfully fabricated. Powders with varying particle sizes were prepared using the ball milling process, where the particle size was controlled with milling time. A decrease in Hc occurred in the heat-treated bulk pressed from large-sized powders, while heavy oxidation excessively occurred in small powders, leading to the decomposition of the SmFe10V2 (1-12) phase. The highest Hc of 8.9 kOe was achieved with powders ball-milled for 5 h due to the formation of the grain boundary phase. To improve the maximum energy product ((BH)max), which is only 2.15 MGOe in the isotropic bulk, anisotropic bulks were prepared using the same powders. The easy alignment direction, confirmed by XRD and EBSD measurements, was <002>. Significant enhancements were observed, with saturation magnetization (Ms) increasing from 59 to 79 emu/g and a remanence ratio (Mr/Ms) of 83.7%. (BH)max reaching 7.85 MGOe. For further improvement of magnetic properties, controlling oxidation is essential to form a uniform grain boundary phase and achieve perfect alignment with small grain size.

Acoustically driven ferromagnetic resonance in YIG thin films

Acoustically driven ferromagnetic resonance (ADFMR) is a platform that enables efficient generation and detection of spin waves via magnetoelastic coupling with surface acoustic waves (SAWs). While previous studies successfully achieved ADFMR in ferromagnetic metals, there are only few reports on ADFMR in magnetic insulators such as yttrium iron garnet (Y3Fe5O12, YIG) despite more favorable spin wave properties, including low damping and long coherence length. The growth of high-quality YIG films for ADFMR devices is a major challenge due to poor lattice-matching and thermal degradation of the piezoelectric substrates during film crystallization. In this work, we demonstrate ADFMR of YIG thin films on LiNbO3 (LNO) substrates. We employed a SiOx buffer layer and rapid thermal annealing for crystallization of YIG films with minimal thermal degradation of LNO substrates. Optimized ADFMR device designs and time-gating measurements were used to enhance the ADFMR signal and overcome the intrinsically low magnetoelastic coupling of YIG. YIG films have a polycrystalline structure with an in-plane easy direction due to biaxial stresses induced during cooling after crystallization. The YIG device shows clear ADFMR patterns with maximum absorption for H ≈ 160 mT parallel to SAW propagation, which is consistent with our simulation results based on existing theoretical models. These results expand possibilities for developing efficient spin wave devices with magnetic insulators.

Intrinsic and extrinsic relaxation mechanisms for controlling spin current intensity in Fe 100−x Co x /Ta bilayers

Controlling the damping parameter in metallic ferromagnetic thin films is a key step for spintronic applications in which spin currents are generated by spin pumping. The coexistence of two states with low and high damping constant values would allow to obtain states of high and low spin current intensity, respectively. We have fabricated Fe 100−x Co x /Ta (with nominal x = 0, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35) bilayers in which the Fe 100−x Co x layers grow epitaxially and the Ta layer is polycrystalline. We have found the coexistence of Gilbert damping and two magnon scattering mechanisms linked to a sign change in the magnetocrystalline anisotropy constant that allows the manipulation of low and high intensity states of the measured inverse spin Hall effect voltage. Bilayers with lower Co concentrations ( x⩽ 25%) present different relaxation mechanisms (isotropic Gilbert damping and two magnon scattering) and an extra ferromagnetic resonance linewidth broadening produced due to mosaicity. Bilayers with Co concentration x> 25% present a dominating Gilbert damping for all directions in the film plane. However, in this concentration range the damping constant is anisotropic and when the magnetic field is applied along the hard magnetization direction α increases ∼420% with respect to the value obtained for the easy magnetization direction. Coexistence of isotropic Gilbert damping and two magnon scattering generated spin currents 2.5 times larger when the field is applied along the hard magnetization axis compared to the value observed in the easy magnetization axis. Thesefindings make the Fe 100−x Co x /Ta system an excellent candidate for spintronic device applications.

Spin reorientation in GdMn2(Ge1-xSix)2 compounds

Structure and magnetic properties of layered GdMn2(Ge1-xSix)2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) compounds were studied. All the compounds crystallize in the tetragonal ThCr2Si2-type structure. It was shown by magnetization measurements at low temperature on quasi-single crystals that, with increasing Si concentration, the easy magnetization direction reorients from the c-axis to the basal plane. The spin reorientation occurs via an angular phase. A model of three magnetic sublattices coupled by negative intersublattice exchange interactions was used to describe the field dependences of the magnetization. For GdMn2Ge2 and GdMn2(Ge0.9Si0.1)2 in the fields applied along the c-axis, seven different magnetic structures were predicted, including two angular structures considered for the first time. The model explains formation of angular magnetic structures in zero field in GdMn2(Ge1-xSix)2 system by taking into account magnetic anisotropy of Mn sublattices with a positive anisotropy constant K1 and negative K2.

〈111〉-orientation growth of Tb-Dy-Fe alloys induced by high magnetic fields during directional solidification

The 〈110〉 and 〈112〉 directions are the preferred growth directions of the magnetic phase in Tb-Dy-Fe alloys, but the 〈111〉 direction is the easy magnetization axis direction, and the 〈111〉-oriented alloy exhibits superior magnetostrictive behavior. In this study, Tb-Dy-Fe alloys with 〈111〉 orientation were prepared by directional solidification (i.e., the master alloy was completely melted) under high magnetic fields. The competition between the preferred growth direction and the easy magnetization direction was resolved, leading to enhanced magnetostrictive properties. During the initial solidification stage, the magnetic torque induced the 〈111〉 orientation in the magnetic phases generated by direct precipitation of the liquid phase and pseudo-eutectic reactions to rotate in the direction of the magnetic field. In the subsequent competitive growth process, 〈111〉-oriented grains grew parallel to the magnetic field direction under the influence of magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy. This work enriches the theory of magnetic orientation during directional solidification, providing novel insights into the preparation of highly oriented functional materials.

Strain-induced giant enhancement and transformation of magnetocrystalline anisotropy in 1T-FeSe2 monolayer

The development of magnetic materials with large magnetic anisotropy energy (MAE) is crucial for magnetic storage and spintronics applications. The electronic structure and magnetic properties of 1T-FeSe2 monolayer have been systematically investigated by first-principles computational methods. The monolayer 1T-FeSe2 is confirmed to be a ferromagnetic semimetal with 100% spin polarization and exhibits pronounced magnetic anisotropy. It shows an easy magnetization plane in the two-dimensional plane and its MAE is as high as 8.134 meV. The MAE mainly originates from the contributions of transitions between Fe dyz and dz2, dxy and dx2−y2 orbitals, while the contributions of transitions between p x and p y, p x and p z orbitals of Se are also obvious. The biaxial strain significantly regulates the magnetic properties and electronic structures of the 1T-FeSe2 monolayer. Interestingly, the MAE increases significantly to 77.680 meV when the tensile strain increases to 3.5%, we can expect to achieve a reasonable value of MAE up to 98.951 meV by applying 5% tensile strain. In addition, the easy magnetization plane changes to perpendicular easy magnetization axis direction at −6% compressive strain or 7% tensile strain, which leads to a significant change in the band structure near the Fermi level. The 100% spin-polarized ferromagnetic semi-metallic behavior and the huge strain-induced magnetic anisotropy make the 1T-FeSe2 monolayer material promising for spintronics and magnetic data storage.

One-Stone-for-Two-Birds Method to Improve the SnO2 Layers for High Power-per-Weight Flexible Perovskite Solar Cell Mini-modules.

Maintaining the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of flexible perovskite solar cells (fPSCs) while decreasing their weight is essential to utilize their lightweight and flexibility as much as possible for commercialization. Strengthening the interfaces between functional layers, such as flexible substrates, charge transport layers, and perovskite active layers, is critical to addressing the issue. Herein, we propose a feasible and one-stone-for-two-birds method to improve the electron transport layer (ETL), SnO2, and the interface between the ETL and perovskite layer simultaneously. In detail, poly(acrylate ammonium) (PAAm), a low-cost polymer with a long chain structure, is added into the SnO2 aqueous solution to reduce the aggregation of SnO2 nanoparticles, resulting in the deposition of a conformal and high-quality ETL film on the tin-doped indium oxide film surface. Simultaneously, PAAm addition can effectively regulate the crystallization of the perovskite films, strengthening the interface between the SnO2 film and the buried surface of the perovskite layer. The outstanding PCEs of 22.41% on small-scale fPSCs and 18.54% on fPSC mini-modules are among the state-of-the-art n-i-p type fPSCs. Moreover, the fPSC mini-module on the 20 μm-thick flexible substrate shows a comparable PCE with that of the fPSC mini-module on the 125 μm-thick flexible substrate, exhibiting a high power-to-weight of 5.097 W/g. This work provides an easy but essential direction for further applications of fPSCs in diverse scenarios.

Electronic, magnetic and universality properties of room-temperature antiferromagnet Fe[formula omitted]O[formula omitted] monolayer

The previously reported X2O3 (X=V, Cr, Mn, Ta) monolayers crystallize in a honeycomb–kagome (HK) structure and are found primarily to be ferromagnetic Chern insulators with remarkable quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) properties. However, in this study, it was found that the HK Fe2O3 monolayer exhibits antiferromagnetic semiconducting properties suitable for advanced spintronics applications. Through first-principle calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we show that the Fe2O3 monolayer has good energetic, mechanical, and dynamic stability. We further evaluate the magnetic anisotropy energies (MAE) of the Fe2O3 monolayer and find that it prefers the out-of-plane easy axis magnetization direction with a sizeable MAE value of 248.75 μeV per Fe atom. Moreover, by performing Monte Carlo (MC) simulations based on the 2D classical anisotropic Heisenberg model, we predict a Néel temperature of 631.7(5) K for the Fe2O3 monolayer. We demonstrate that the Fe2O3 monolayer belongs to the 2D Ising-like universality class based on the estimated critical exponent ratios of magnetic susceptibility, magnetization, and the exponent of the correlation length. Our findings demonstrate that the Fe2O3 monolayer can be a suitable candidate for future antiferromagnetic spintronic device applications, especially in ultra-high data processing and storage, due to the coexistence of AFM and semiconducting properties.

Ferroelectric control of ferromagnetism in CrTeI/In2Se3 heterostructure: A first-principles study

Ferromagnetic/ferroelectric heterostructures provide an effective avenue for designing new functional materials with novel properties by combining the advantages of different materials. In this context, we investigate systematically the structure, electronic properties, and ferromagnetism of CrTeI/In2Se3 heterostructures using the first-principles calculations. Through the incorporation of the ferroelectric In2Se3, we modulate the magnetocrystalline anisotropy, exchange interactions, Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, and other key magnetic parameters of the ferromagnetic CrTeI. Consequently, the easy magnetization direction can be reorientated from in-plane to out-of-plane by switching the electric polarization direction. The enhancement of ferromagnetic coupling and the weakening of antiferromagnetic coupling raise the Curie temperature significantly. Simultaneously, the modulation of the magnetic parameters refines the conditions for forming skyrmions in the heterostructures. The findings in this work hold reference value for understanding the ferroelectric control of ferromagnetism and benefit the applications of two dimensional magnetic materials in spintronics.

A structural study and some magnetic properties of the (Sc,Nb)Fe2 series of compounds

We report on the effects of Nb for Sc substitution on the structural and magnetic properties of the Sc1-xNbxFe2 series of compounds by means of scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis, X-ray powder diffraction, and magnetic measurements. The study focus on hexagonal P63/mmc crystal symmetry structure of the ScFe2 phase retained along the series. Whereas the unit cell is found to decrease regularly upon increasing the niobium content the magnetic properties are found to evolve in a non monotonous manner. A drop of the magnetization and Curie temperature is observed upon substitution, the highest TC being 530 K. Indeed, it is shown that Nb for Sc substitution induces dramatic changes of the magnetic properties such as a strong decrease of the ordering temperature and significant reduction of the spontaneous magnetization for Nb content above x=0.2 and 0.1, respectively. The highest magnetization is found for the Sc rich side with values of about 2.6 µB/f.u. corresponding to 1.3 µB/Fe atom. Moreover, compounds with x=0.75 and 1 are no longer exhibiting ferromagnetic order even at 2 K. The easy magnetization direction of Sc1-xNbxFe2 series of compounds is determined to be along the c-axis at room temperature.

Microstructure, microchemistry, and micro-magnetism of Dy grain boundary diffused (Nd, Ce)–Fe–B magnets

The microstructure of (Nd, Ce)–Fe–B sintered magnets with different diffusion depths was characterized by a magnetic force microscope, and the relationship between the magnetic properties and the local structure of grain boundary diffused magnets is discussed. The domains perpendicular to the c-axis (easy magnetization direction) show a typical maze-like pattern, while those parallel to the c-axis show the characteristics of plate domains. The significant gradient change is shown in the concentration of Dy with the direction of diffusion from the surface to the interior. Dy diffuses along grain boundaries and (Dy, Nd)2Fe14B layer with a high anisotropy field formed around the grains. Through in-situ electron probe micro-analysis/magnetic force microscopy (EPMA/MFM), it is found that the average domain width decreases, and the proportion of single domain grains increases as diffusion depth increases. This is caused by both the change of concentration and distribution of Dy. The grain boundary diffusion process changes the microstructure and microchemistry inside the magnet, and these local magnetism differences can be reflected by the configuration of the magnetic domain structure.

Generation of highly anisotropic physical properties in ferromagnetic thin films controlled by their differently oriented nano-sheets

We fabricated ferromagnetic nano-crystalline thin films of Co, Fe, Co–Fe and Co-rich and Fe-rich, Co–MT and Fe–MT (MT = transition metal), constituted by nano-sheets with a controlled slant. Visualization of these nano-sheets by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM) showed typically tilt angles ≈56° with respect to the substrate plane, and nano-sheets ≈3.0–4.0 nm thick, ≈30–100 nm wide, and ≈200–300 nm long, with an inter-sheet distance of ≈0.9–1.2 nm, depending on their constitutive elements. Induced by this nano-morphology, these films exhibited large uniaxial magnetic anisotropy in the plane, the easy direction of magnetization being parallel to the longitudinal direction of the nano-sheets. In the as-grown films, typical values of the anisotropy field were between Hk ≈ 48 and 110 kA/m depending on composition. The changes in the nano-morphology caused by thermal treatments, and hence in the anisotropic properties, were also visualized by HRTEM, including chemical analysis at the nano-scale. Some films retained their nano-sheet morphology and increased their anisotropies by up to three times after being heated to at least 500 °C: for example, the thermal treatments produced crystallization processes and the growth of CoV and CoFe magnetic phases, maintaining the nano-sheet morphology. In contrast, other annealed films, Co, Fe, CoZn, CoCu… lost their nano-sheet morphology and hence their anisotropies. This work opens a path of study for these new magnetically anisotropic materials, particularly with respect to the nano-morphological and structural changes related to the increase in magnetic anisotropy.