Magnetocrystalline anisotropies in Mnx PtSn thin films

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Contributors

  • Peter Swekis - , Faculty of Physics, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, TUD Dresden University of Technology (Author)
  • Anastasios Markou - , Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids (Author)
  • Jörg Sichelschmidt - , Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids (Author)
  • Claudia Felser - , Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids (Author)
  • Sebastian T.B. Goennenwein - , Center for Transport and Devices of Emergent Materials (CTD), Chair of Solid State Physics, TUD Dresden University of Technology, University of Konstanz (Author)

Abstract

The magnetic anisotropy determines the equilibrium orientation of the magnetization in a ferromagnet. In Mn-based inverse tetragonal Heusler compounds, a large uniaxial anisotropy makes these materials excellent candidates for both spin-transfer-torque and skyrmionic devices. Here, we present systematic investigations of the magnetocrystalline anisotropies in MnxPtSn films (x = 1.0-1.6). We find that the MnxPtSn films, grown by magnetron sputtering on MgO substrates, show a structural transition between x = 1.0 and 1.2 from cubic to tetragonal, where the tetragonal structure shows a twinned in-plane c-axis orientation. From ferromagnetic resonance measurements, we determine the out-of-plane and in-plane uniaxial anisotropies, taking into account the particular structural properties of the films. We find a strong dependence of the uniaxial anisotropies on the Mn concentration, as well as on structural distortions due to the lattice-matched growth. From temperature-dependent ferromagnetic resonance measurements, we infer the evolution of the in-plane uniaxial anisotropy and observe the presence of additional magnetic interactions and magnetization relaxation mechanisms around the spin reorientation transition.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number051104
JournalAPL materials
Volume9
Issue number5
Publication statusPublished - 1 May 2021
Peer-reviewedYes

Keywords