Magnetic and Magneto-Optical Properties of MnSb Films Grown on Sapphire Substrate

Abstract

We have grown MnSb films on sapphire substrates by hot wall epitaxy. A series of films with thicknesses of 80, 155 and 230 nm was prepared to determine the thickness dependence of their magnetic and magneto-optical properties. Our results indicate that the thinnest and thickest films possess largest coercivity and saturation magnetization, respectively. The largest Kerr rotation angle was also found in the thickest film for both the longitudinal and polar Kerr rotations, reaching a maximum of 0.31 . We attribute this behavior to the thickness dependence of both the film magnetization orientation and its atomic composition.

Structural characterization and magnetic response of poly(p-xylylene)–MnSb and MnSb films deposited at cryogenic temperature

“…Due to compatibility with conventional III-V semiconducting materials, thin films of pure MnSb have been intensively studied as a perspective material for creation of efficient FM/semiconductor heterostructures. In relevant works, MnSb films were usually obtained from the elemental sources using molecular-beam 35 – 40 and hot-wall 41 – 44 epitaxy techniques. As an alternative, several groups studied films obtained via layer-by-layer Mn-Sb deposition.…”

“…For example, for MnSb films, obtained using hot-wall epitaxy technique, an increase of crystallinity, induced by an increase of substrate temperature 43 , results in an increase of coercive force, , and a decrease of values. Thinner MnSb films reveal small compressive strain of crystal structure, which becomes negligible as the film thickness (deposition time) is increased 42 , 44 . Different groups reported that increased deposition time result in an increase 44 or a decrease 42 of mean crystallite size, while in both cases it leads to a decrease of and an increase of values.…”

“…Thinner MnSb films reveal small compressive strain of crystal structure, which becomes negligible as the film thickness (deposition time) is increased 42 , 44 . Different groups reported that increased deposition time result in an increase 44 or a decrease 42 of mean crystallite size, while in both cases it leads to a decrease of and an increase of values. Moreover, the ratio ( is the remanent magnetization value) for corresponding films shows opposite tendencies as a function of 42 , 43 .…”