Epitaxial film growth and magnetic properties of Co_2FeSi

Abstract

We have grown thin films of the Heusler compound Co_2FeSi by RF magnetron sputtering. On (100)-oriented MgO substrates we find fully epitaxial (100)-oriented and L2_1 ordered growth. On Al_2O_3 (11-20) substrates, the film growth is (110)-oriented, and several in-plane epitaxial domains are observed. The temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity shows a power law with an exponent of 7/2 at low temperatures. Investigation of the bulk magnetic properties reveals an extrapolated saturation magnetization of 5.0 mu_B/fu at 0 K. The films on Al_2O_3 show an in-plane uniaxial anisotropy, while the epitaxial films are magnetically isotropic in the plane. Measurements of the X-ray magnetic circular dichroism of the films allowed us to determine element specific magnetic moments. Finally we have measured the spin polarization at the surface region by spin-resolved near-threshold photoemission and found it strongly reduced in contrast to the expected bulk value of 100%. Possible reasons for the reduced magnetization are discussed.

9 pages, 12 figures

References in corpus (6)

• Slater-Pauling Behavior of the Half-Ferromagnetic Full-Heusler Alloys
• Nearly total spin polarization in La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 from tunneling experiments
• Geometric, electronic, and magnetic structure of Co${}_2$FeSi: Curie temperature and magnetic moment measurements and calculations
• Surface Properties of the Half- and Full-Heusler Alloys
• Electronic structure and spectroscopy of the quaternary Heusler alloy Co${}_2$Cr${}_{1-x}$Fe${}_x$Al
• Unconventional one-magnon scattering resistivity in half metals

Cited by in corpus (18)

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• Estimation of the spin polarization for Heusler-compound thin films by means of nonlocal spin-valve measurements: Comparison of Co${}_2$FeSi and Fe${}_3$Si
• Surface spin polarization of the non-stoichiometric Heusler compound Co2Mn(alpha)Si
• Structural ordering driven anisotropic magnetoresistance, anomalous Hall resistance and its topological overtones in full-Heusler Co2MnSi thin films
• Evolution of ferromagnetic and spin-wave resonances with crystalline order in thin films of full-Heusler alloy Co2MnSi
• Structural, chemical and electronic properties of the Co2MnSi(001)/MgO interface
• Structural, magnetic, and transport properties of Co${}_2$FeSi Heusler films
• Magnetoelastic coupling induced magnetic anisotropy in Co${}_2$(Fe/Mn)Si thin films
• Metal-insulator transition in three-band Hubbard model with strong spin-orbit interaction
• Spin- and time-resolved photoemission studies of thin Co2FeSi Heusler alloy films
• Two-dimensional electron-gas-like charge transport at magnetic Heusler alloy-SrTiO${}_3$ interface
• Ion beam induced modification of exchange interaction and spin-orbit coupling in the Co${}_2$FeSi Heusler compound
• Hall effect in laser ablated Co_2(Mn,Fe)Si thin films
• Effect of Co-Fe substitutions on the room-temperature spin polarization in Co_3-xFe_xSi Heusler-compound films
• Polarons Explain Luminescence Behavior of Colloidal Quantum Dots at Low Temperature
• Quantum states entanglement in hemoglobin molecule active center
• Electronic properties of Co${}_2$FeSi investigated by x-ray magnetic linear dichroism