1. Biaxial strain in the hexagonal plane of MnAs thin films: The key to stabilize ferromagnetism to higher temperature
- Author
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F. Maccherozzi, Frédéric Ott, P. Bourges, Massimiliano Marangolo, Victor H. Etgens, Yvan Sidis, Franck Vidal, Mahmoud Eddrief, Vincent Garcia, G. Panaccione, Institut des Nanosciences de Paris (INSP), Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire Léon Brillouin (LLB - UMR 12), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université Paris-Saclay-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratory TASC, INFM-CNR, Laboratory TASC (TASC), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Paris-Saclay, TASC - Laboratory TASC, Laboratoire Léon Brillouin ( LLB - UMR 12 ), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives ( CEA ) -Université Paris-Saclay-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique ( CNRS ), Laboratory TASC ( TASC ), Institut des Nanosciences de Paris ( INSP ), and Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 ( UPMC ) -Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique ( CNRS )
- Subjects
Phase transition ,Materials science ,General Physics and Astronomy ,FOS: Physical sciences ,02 engineering and technology ,Substrate (electronics) ,Neutron scattering ,01 natural sciences ,Condensed Matter::Materials Science ,MAGNETIC-PROPERTIES ,Phase (matter) ,0103 physical sciences ,Thin film ,[PHYS.COND]Physics [physics]/Condensed Matter [cond-mat] ,010306 general physics ,Phase diagram ,Condensed Matter - Materials Science ,Condensed matter physics ,Plane (geometry) ,GAAS ,Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Condensed Matter::Mesoscopic Systems and Quantum Hall Effect ,Ferromagnetism ,0210 nano-technology ,[ PHYS.COND ] Physics [physics]/Condensed Matter [cond-mat] - Abstract
The alpha-beta magneto-structural phase transition in MnAs/GaAs(111) epilayers is investigated by elastic neutron scattering. The in-plane parameter of MnAs remains almost constant with temperature from 100 K to 420 K, following the thermal evolution of the GaAs substrate. This induces a temperature dependent biaxial strain that is responsible for an alpha-beta phase coexistence and, more important, for the stabilization of the ferromagnetic alpha-phase at higher temperature than in bulk. We explain the premature appearance of the beta-phase at 275 K and the persistence of the ferromagnetic alpha-phase up to 350 K with thermodynamical arguments based on the MnAs phase diagram. It results that the biaxial strain in the hexagonal plane is the key parameter to extend the ferromagnetic phase well over room temperature., 4 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in Physical Review Letters
- Published
- 2007
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