Growth and magnetic properties of zincblende CrSb epilayers on relaxed and strained (In, Ga)As buffers

Zincblende CrSb (zb-CrSb) layers with room-temperature ferromagnetism have been grown on relaxed and strained (In,Ga)As buffer layers epitaxially prepared on (001) GaAs substrates by molecular-beam epitaxy. The structural characterizations of CrSb layers fabricated under the two cases are studied by using synchrotron grazing incidence x-ray diffraction (GID). The results of GID experiments indicate that no sign of second phase exists in all the zb-CrSb layers. Superconducting quantum interference device measurements demonstrate that the thickness of zb-CrSb layers grown on both relaxed and strained (In,Ga)As buffer layers can be increased to similar to 12 monolayers (similar to 3.6nm), compared to similar to 3 monolayers (similar to 1nm) on GaAs directly.

Effects of piezoelectricity and spontaneous polarization on electronic and optical properties of wurtzite III-V nitride quantum wells

A theoretical model accounting for the macropolarization effects in wurtzite III-V nitrides quantum wells (QWs) is presented. Energy dispersions and exciton binding energies are calculated within the framework of effective-mass theory and variational approach, respectively. Exciton-associated transitions (EATs) are studied in detail. An energy redshift as high as 450 meV is obtained in Al0.25GaN0.75/GaN QWs. Also, the abrupt reduction of optical momentum matrix elements is derived as a consequence of quantum-confined Stark effects. EAT energies are compared with recent photoluminescence (PL) experiments and numerical coherence is achieved. We propose that it is the EAT energy, instead of the conduction-valence-interband transition energy that is comparable with the PL energy. To restore the reduced transition rate, we apply an external electric field. Theoretical calculations show that with the presence of the external electric field the optical matrix elements for EAT increase 20 times. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.

Syntheses, crystallographic and magnetic properties of Nd3Fe29-xCrx and other associated compounds

A systematic study of syntheses and magnetic properties of the Nd-3 Fe29-xCrx (x=4.5, 4.7, 5.0, and 5.5) compounds has been performed. The single-phase compounds of Nd3Fe29-xCrx can be formed in the range 4.5 less than or equal to x less than or equal to 5.5. The Curie temperature Tc, the saturation magnetization M-S at 4.2 K, the anisotropy field H-A at 4.2 K and room temperature, and the intra-sublattice exchange coupling parameter j(FeFe) at 4.2 K for the Nd3Fe29-xCrx compounds decrease with increasing Cr composition from x=4.5 to 5.5, respectively. Nitrogenation and carbonation, unlike hydrogenation, result mainly in improvements of the Curie temperature, the saturation magnetization and the anisotropy field at 4.2 K and room temperature for the Nd3Fe29-xCrx compounds compared with their parent compounds.

Crystallographic and magnetic properties of hydride R3Fe29-xTxHy (R=Y, Ce, Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb and Dy; T=V and Cr)

The crystallographic and intrinsic magnetic properties of hydride R3Fe29-xTxHy (R=Y, Ce, Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb, and Dy; T=V and Cr) have been investigated. The lattice constants and the unit cell volume of R3Fe29-xTxHy decrease with increasing R atomic number from Nd to Dy, except for Ce, reflecting the lanthanide contraction. Regular anisotropic expansions, mainly along the a- and b-axis rather than along the c-axis, are observed for all the compounds upon hydrogenation. Hydrogenation leads to an increase in Curie temperature. First-order magnetization processes (FOMP) occur in magnetic fields of around 1.5 T and 4.0 T at 4.2 K for Nd3Fe24.5Cr4.5H5.0 and Tb(3)Fc(27.0)Cr(2.0)H(2.8), and around 1.4 T at room temperature for Gd3Fe28.0Cr1.0H4.2 Abnormal crystallographic and magnetic properties of Ce3Fe29-xTxHy suggest that the Ce ion is non-triply ionized.

Structural and magnetic properties of hydrides R3Fe29-xVxHy (R = Y, Ce, Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb, and Dy)

A systematic investigation of crystallographic and intrinsic magnetic properties of the hydrides R3Fe29 - xVxHy (R = Y, Ce, Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb, and Dy) has been performed in this work. The lattice constants a, b, and c and the unit cell volume of R3Fe29 - xVxHy decrease with increasing rare-earth atomic number from Nd to Dy, except for Ce, reflecting the lanthanide contraction. Hydrogenation results in regular anisotropic expansions along the a-, b-, and c-axes in this series of hydrides. Abnormal crystallographic and magnetic properties of Ce3Fe27.5V1.5H6.5, like Ce3Fe27.5V1.5, suggest that the Ce ion is non-triply ionized. Hydrogenation leads to the increase in both Curie temperature for all the compounds and in the saturation magnetization at 4.2 K and RT for R3Fe29 - xVx with R = Y, Ce, Nd, Sm, Gd, and Dy, except for Tb. Hydrogenation also leads to a decrease in the anisotropy field at 4.2 K and RT for R3Fe29 - xVx with R = Y, Ce, Nd, Gd, Tb, and Dy, except for Sm. The Ce3Fe27.5V1.5 and Gd3Fe28.4V0.6 show the larger storage of hydrogen with y = 6.5 and 6.9 in these hydrides. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Crystallographic and magnetic properties of the hydrides R3Fe29-xCrxHy (R = Y, Ce, Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb, and Dy)

A systematic study of the structural and intrinsic magnetic properties of the hydrides R3Fe29-xCrxHy (R = Y, Ce, Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb, and Dy) has been performed. Hydrogenation lends to a relative volume expansion of the unit cell and a decrease in x-ray density for each compound. Anisotropic expansions mainly along the n- and b-axes rather than along the c-axis for all of the compounds upon hydrogenation are observed. The lattice constants and the unit-cell volume of R3Fe29-xCrx and R3Fe29-xCrxHy decrease with increasing R atomic number from Nd to Dy, except for Ce, reflecting the lanthanide contraction. Hydrogenation results in an increase in the Curie temperature and a corresponding increase in the saturation magnetization at room temperature for each compound. After hydrogenation a decrease of 0.34 mu(B)/Fe in the average Fe atomic magnetic moment and a slight increase in the anisotropy field for Y3Fe27.2Cr1.8 are achieved at 4.2 K. First-order magnetization processes (FOMP) occur in magnetic fields of around 1.5 T and 4.0 T at 4.2 K for Nd3Fe24.5Cr4.5H5.0 and TD3Fe27.0Cr2.0H2.8, and around 1.4 T at room temperature for Gd3Fe28.0Cr1.0H4.2. The abnormal crystallographic and magnetic properties of Ce3Fe25.0Cr4.0 and Ce3Fe25.0Cr4.0H5.4 suggest that the Ce ion non-triply ionized.

Crystallographic and magnetic properties of nitride R3Fe29-xCrxN4 (R = Y, Ca, Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb, and Dy)

A systematic investigation of crystallographic and magnetic properties of nitride R3Fe29-xCrxN4 (R=Y, Ce, Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb, and Dy) has been performed. The lattice constants and unit cell volume decrease with increasing rare earth atomic number from Nd to Dy, reflecting the lanthanide contraction. After nitrogenation the relative volume expansion of each nitride is around between 5% and 7%. The nitrogenation results in a good improvement in the Curie temperature, the saturation magnetization and anisotropy fields at 4.2 K, and room temperature for R3Fe29-xCrxN4. Magnetohistory effects of R3Fe29-xCrxN4 and R3Fe29-xCrx (R=Nd and Sm) are observed in a low field of 0.04 T. First order magnetization process occurs in Sm3Fe24.0Cr5.0N4 in magnetic fields of 2.8 T at 4.2 K. After nitrogenation, the easy magnetization direction of Sm3Fe24.0Cr5.0 is changed from the easy-cone structure to the uniaxial. The good intrinsic magnetic properties of Sm3Fe24.0Cr5.0N4 make this compound a hopeful candidate for new high-performance hard magnets. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics.

Formation and magnetic properties of Fe16N2 films prepared by ion-beam-assisted deposition

Fe-N films containing the Fe16N2 phase were prepared in a high-vacuum system of ion-beam-assisted deposition (IBAD). The composition and structure of the films were analysed by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. Magnetic properties of the films were measured by a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The phase composition of Fe-N films depend sensitively on the N/Fe atomic arrival ratio and the deposition temperature. An Fe16N2 film was deposited successfully on a GaAs (1 0 0) substrate by IBAD at a N/Fe atomic arrival ratio of 0.12. The gram-saturation magnetic moment of the Fe16N2 film obtained is 237 emu/g at room temperature, the possible cause has been analysed and discussed. Hysteresis loops of Fe16N2 have been measured, the coercive force H-c is about 120 Oe, which is much larger than the value for Fe, this means the Fe16N2 sample exhibits a large uniaxial magnetocrystalline anisotropy. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Crystallographic and magnetic properties of R3Fe29-xVxN4 (R = Y, Ce, Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb, and Dy)

A systematic investigation of crystallographic and magnetic properties of nitride R3Fe29-xVxN4 (R = Y, Ce, Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb, and Dy) has been performed. Nitrogenation leads to a relative volume expansion of about 6%. The lattice constants and unit cell volume decrease with increasing rare-earth atomic number from Nd to Dy, reflecting the lanthanide contraction. On average, the Curie temperature increases due to the nitrogenation to about 200 K compared with its parent compound. Generally speaking, nitrogenation also results in a remarkable improvement of the saturation magnetization and anisotropy fields at 4.2 K and room temperature for R3Fe29-xVxN4 compared with their parent compounds. The transition temperature indicates the spin reorientations of R3Fe29-xVxN4 for R = Nd and Sm are at around 375 and 370 K which are higher than that of R3Fe29-xVx, for R = Nd and Sm 145 and 140 K, respectively. The magnetohistory effects of R3Fe29-xVxN4 (R = Ce, Nd, and Sm) are observed in low fields of 0.04 T. After nitrogenation the easy magnetization direction of Sm3Fe26.7V2.3 is changed from an easy-cone structure to the b-axis. As a preliminary result, a maximum remanence B-r of 0.94 T, an intrinsic coercivity mu(0)H(C) of 0.75 T, and a maximum energy product (B H)(max) of 108.5 kJ m(-3) for the nitride magnet Sm3Fe26.7V2.3N4 are achieved by ball-milling at 293 K.

Structure and magnetic properties of nitrides R3Fe29-xCrxN4

A systematic investigation of nitrides R3F29-xCrxN4 (R = Y, Ce, Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb, and Dy) has been performed. The nitrogen concentration in the nitride R3Fe29-xCrxNy was determined to be y = 4. Nitrogenation leads to a relative volume expansion of about 5.3%. The lattice constants and unit cell volume decrease with increasing rare earth atomic number from Nd to Dy, reflecting the lanthanide contraction. In average, the increase of Curie temperature upon nitrogenation is about 200 K, compared with its parent compound. The nitrogenation also results in a remarkable improvement in the saturation magnetization and anisotropy fields for R3Fe29-x CrxN4 at 4.2 K and room temperature, compared with their parent compounds. A spin reorientation of Nd3Fe24.5Cr4.5N4 occurs at around 368 K, which is 138 K higher than that of Nd3F24.5Cr4.5. Magnetohistory effects of R3Fe29-xCrxN4 (R = Nd and Sm) are observed in a low field of 0.04 T. First-order magnetization process occurs in Sm3Fe24.0Cr5.0N4 in magnetic fields of around 3.0 T at 4.2 K. After nitrogenation the easy magnetization direction of Sm3Fe24.0C5.0 is changed from the easy-cone structure to the uniaxial. The excellent intrinsic magnetic properties of Sm3Fe24.0Cr5.0N4 make this compound a hopeful candidate for new high-performance permanent magnets.

Structural and magnetic properties of GaN:Sm:Eu films fabricated by co-implantation method

Diluted-magnetic GaN:Sm:Eu films have been fabricated by co-implantation of Sm and Eu ions into c-plane (0001) GaN films and a subsequent annealing process. The structural, morphological and magnetic characteristics of the samples have been investigated by means of high-resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). The XRD and AFM analyses show that the annealing process can effectively recover the crystalline degradation caused by implantation. Compared with GaN:Sm films, more defects have been introduced into GaN:Sm:Eu films due to the Eu implantation process. According to the SQUID analysis, GaN:Sm:Eu films exhibit clear room-temperature ferromagnetism. Moreover, GaN:Sm:Eu films show a lower saturation magnetization (Ms) than GaN:Sm films.

ELECTRONIC AND MAGNETIC-STRUCTURE OF THE TERNARY COMPOUND ND2FE17N

The electronic and the magnetic structure of the Nd2Fe17N1 phase in the family of Nd-Fe-N ternary compounds have been calculated using the first-principles, spin-polarized orthogonalized linear-combination-of-atomic-orbitals method. Results are presented in the form of site-decomposed and spin-projected partial density of states. The occupation sites of the three N atoms are determined by an average radial distribution of all possible N site configurations. Both cases of N occupying the 3b and the 18g sites are studied. The results indicate that the 6c Fe sites have the maximum and the 18h Fe sites have the minimum local moments. This is in good agreement with experiment. It is concluded that the influence on the local moment due to lattice expansion is less important compared to that due to interatomic interaction between the N atom and its neighbors. The results also show the important role of N atoms in raising the Curie temperature of this compound.

CALCULATED ELECTRONIC AND MAGNETIC-STRUCTURES OF THE NEW TERNARY RARE-EARTH IRON NITRIDE ND2FE17N3

The electronic and magnetic structures of Nd2Fe17 and Nd2Fe17N3 have been calculated using the first-principle, spin-polarized orthogonalized linear combination of atomic orbitals method. Comparative studies of the two materials reveal important effects of the nitrogen atoms (at 9e site) on the electronic and magnetic structures. Results are presented for the total density of states, site-projected partial density of states and the spin magnetic moments on four nonequivalent Fe sites. The highest magnetic moments are found to be located on the 6c site for Nd2Fe17 and on the 9d site for Nd2Fe17N3, in agreement with the neutron and Mossbauer experiments. The variation trends of the magnetic moments on different Fe sites are discussed in terms of the separation between Fe and N atoms. Compared with Nd2Fe17, an increase in the exchange splitting of the Fe d band is found in Nd2Fe17N3, which accounts for its higher Curie temperature as observed in experiments. The calculated results show that the nitrogen atoms are charge acceptors in these compounds.

Effect of Annealing on Structural and Magnetic Properties of a Thick (Ga,Mn)As Layer

We investigate effects of annealing on magnetic properties of a thick (Ga,Mn)As layer, and find a dramatic increase of the Curie temperature from 65 to 115 K by postgrowth annealing for a 500-nm (Ga,Mn)As layer. Auger electron spectroscopy measurements suggest that the increase of the Curie temperature is mainly due to diffusion of Mn interstitial to the free surface. The double-crystal x-ray diffraction patterns show that the lattice constant of (Ga,Mn)As decreases with increasing annealing temperature. As a result, the annealing induced reduction of the lattice constant is mainly attributed to removal of Mn interstitial.

Crystallographic and magnetic properties of hydride R3Fe29-xTxHy (R=Y, Ce, Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb and Dy; T=V and Cr)

The crystallographic and intrinsic magnetic properties of hydride R3Fe29-xTxHy (R=Y, Ce, Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb, and Dy; T=V and Cr) have been investigated. The lattice constants and the unit cell volume of R3Fe29-xTxHy decrease with increasing R atomic number from Nd to Dy, except for Ce, reflecting the lanthanide contraction. Regular anisotropic expansions, mainly along the a- and b-axis rather than along the c-axis, are observed for all the compounds upon hydrogenation. Hydrogenation leads to an increase in Curie temperature. First-order magnetization processes (FOMP) occur in magnetic fields of around 1.5 T and 4.0 T at 4.2 K for Nd3Fe24.5Cr4.5H5.0 and Tb(3)Fc(27.0)Cr(2.0)H(2.8), and around 1.4 T at room temperature for Gd3Fe28.0Cr1.0H4.2 Abnormal crystallographic and magnetic properties of Ce3Fe29-xTxHy suggest that the Ce ion is non-triply ionized.