Sets of Heusler compound Co2MnAl thin films were grown on MgO (100) and Si (100) substrates by radio frequency magnetron sputtering. Composition, magnetic, and transport properties were studied systematically for samples deposited at different conditions. In particular, the anomalous Hall effect resistivity presents an extraordinarily temperature independent behavior in a moderate magnetic field range from 0 to 0.6 T. We analyzed the off-diagonal transport at temperatures up to 300 °C. Our data show the suitability of the material for Hall sensors working well above room temperature.
Magnetic nanowires have emerged as essential components for a broad range of applications. In many cases, a key property of these components is the switching field, which is studied as a function of the angle between the field and the nanowire. We found remarkable differences of up to 100% between the switching fields of different nanowires from the same fabrication batch. Our experimental results and micromagnetic simulations indicate that the nanowires exhibit a single domain behavior and that the switching mechanism includes vortex domain wall motion across the nanowire. The differences between the switching fields are attributed to different cross-sections of the nanowires, as found by electron microscopy. While a circular cross-section yields the smallest switching field values, any deviation from this shape results in an increase of the switching field. The shape of the nanowires' cross-sections is thus a critical parameter that has not been previously taken into account.
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