Abstract
Ferromagnetic resonance was used to study the influence of vicinal (miscut) angle and film thickness on in-plane fourfold and uniaxial magnetic anisotropies in epitaxial Fe3 O4 films grown on vicinal MgO(100) surfaces. The in-plane fourfold anisotropy constant K4 is approximately the same for all films but the dominant in-plane uniaxial constant K2 varies linearly with the inverse Fe3 O4 layer thickness and approximately quadratically with the vicinal angle. A second, weaker, in-plane uniaxial term is evident for the film on a larger miscut (10°) substrate. The easy axis of the dominant in-plane uniaxial term is perpendicular to the step edges. The dominant in-plane uniaxial anisotropy has one term inversely proportional to the film thickness that is associated with anisotropy localized at the interface and a second term that is independent of film thickness; the latter may arise from the preferential alignment of antiphase boundaries with the step edges.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 174424 |
Journal | Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics |
Volume | 77 |
Issue number | 17 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - May 21 2008 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
- Condensed Matter Physics