Epitaxial growth and magnetic characterization of EuSe thin films with various crystalline orientations.

We report different growth modes and corresponding magnetic properties of thin EuSe films grown by molecular beam epitaxy on BaF₂, Pb_1−xEu_xSe, GaAs, and Bi₂Se₃ substrates. We show that EuSe grows predominantly in the (001) orientation on GaAs(111) and Bi₂Se₃, but along the (111) crystallographic direction on BaF₂ (111) and Pb_1−xEu_xSe (111). High resolution transmission electron microscopy measurements reveal a sharp and highly crystalline interface for both (001) and (111) EuSe films. In agreement with previous studies, ordered magnetic phases include antiferromagnetic, ferrimagnetic, and ferromagnetic phases. In contrast to previous studies, we found a strong hysteresis of the antiferromagnetic–ferrimagnetic transition. The ability to grow epitaxial films of EuSe on Bi₂Se₃ and of Bi₂Se₃ on EuSe enables further investigation of interfacial exchange interactions between various phases of an insulating metamagnetic material and a topological insulator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]