A magnetic atomic laminate from thin film synthesis: (Mo0.5Mn0.5)2GaC

We present synthesis and characterization of a new magnetic atomic laminate: (Mo0.5Mn0.5)(2)GaC. High quality crystalline films were synthesized on MgO(111) substrates at a temperature of similar to 530 degrees C. The films display a magnetic response, evaluated by vibrating sample magnetometry, in a temperature range 3-300 K and in a field up to 5 T. The response ranges from ferromagnetic to paramagnetic with change in temperature, with an acquired 5T-moment and remanent moment at 3 K of 0.66 and 0.35 mu(B) per metal atom (Mo and Mn), respectively. The remanent moment and the coercive field (0.06 T) exceed all values reported to date for the family of magnetic laminates based on so called MAX phases.
Funding Agencies|European Research Council under the European Community Seventh Framework Program [258509]; Swedish Research Council (VR) [642-2013-8020, 621-2012-4425]; KAW Fellowship program; SSF synergy grant FUNCASE; Icelandic Research Fund [141518-051]