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Physical Review B (Condensed Matter and Materials Physics) -- March 1, 1998 -- Volume 57, Issue 10 pp. R5575-R5578

Spin-density-wave magnetism in layered chromium studied by perturbed-angular-correlation spectroscopy

J. Meersschaut, J. Dekoster, S. Demuynck, S. Cottenier, B. Swinnen, and M. Rots

Instituut voor Kern- en Stralingsfysica, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200D, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium

(Received 24 November 1997)

Results obtained by perturbed-angular-correlation (PAC) spectroscopy on epitaxial chromium thin films are compared with data obtained from the same samples by neutron-diffraction experiments. We report on the study of a 250-nm-thick Cr single layer and an Fe/Cr multilayer with Cr thickness of 25 nm grown on Nb/Al₂O₃ (102). The chromium single layer film orders below the Néel temperature as a longitudinal (AF₂) spin density wave antiferromagnet with the spins out of plane, while the Cr in the Fe/Cr multilayer orders as a transversal (AF₁) spin density wave antiferromagnet with the spins in plane. In addition we observe a minority volume fraction in a commensurate AF₀ phase, stable up to at least 400 K. The present results prove that PAC probes the intrinsic magnetic features of chromium and therefore validate this technique as a complementary approach towards the understanding of the chromium magnetism in thin films and Fe/Cr multilayers. ©1998 The American Physical Society

URL: http://link.aps.org/abstract/PRB/v57/pR5575
PACS: 68.65.+g, 76.80.+y        Additional Information

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Citing Articles

1. Spin density waves in Cr/Mo films
   Anders M. N. Niklasson et al., Phys. Rev. B 63, 104417 (2001)
2. Observation of Charge-Density Wave Domains on the Cr(110) Surface by Low-Temperature Scanning Tunneling Microscopy
   K.-F. Braun et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 3500 (2000)
3. Spin Density Waves in Thin Chromium Films
   A. M. N. Niklasson et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, 4544 (1999)
4. Longitudinal spin-density-wave ordering in thin epitaxial chromium layers
   M. Rots et al., J. Appl. Phys. 85, 4836 (1999)
5. Spin-density waves and reorientation effects in thin epitaxial Cr films covered with ferromagnetic and paramagnetic layers
   P. Bödeker et al., Phys. Rev. B 59, 9408 (1999)
6. Structural and Magnetic Ordering of Chromium in Ag/Cr Multilayers
   S. Demuynck et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 2562 (1998)