Ferromagnetic Domain Distribution in Thin Films During Magnetization Reversal

We have shown that polarized neutron reflectometry can determine in a model-free way not only the mean magnetization of a ferromagnetic thin film at any point of a hysteresis cycle, but also the mean square dispersion of the magnetization vectors of its lateral domains. This technique is applied to elucidate the mechanism of the magnetization reversal of an exchange-biased Co/CoO bilayer. The reversal process above the blocking temperature is governed by uniaxial domain switching, while below the blocking temperature the reversal of magnetization for the trained sample takes place with substantial domain rotation

Weak ferromagnetism and field-induced spin reorientation in K2V3O8

Magnetization and neutron diffraction measurements indicate long-range antiferromagnetic ordering below TN=4 K in the 2D, S=1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet K2V3O8. The ordered state exhibits ``weak ferromagnetism'' and novel, field-induced spin reorientations. These experimental observations are well described by a classical, two-spin Heisenberg model incorporating Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions and an additional c-axis anisotropy. This additional anisotropy can be accounted for by inclusion of the symmetric anisotropy term recently described by Kaplan, Shekhtman, Entin-Wohlman, and Aharony. This suggests that K2V3O8 may be a very unique system where the qualitative behavior relies on the presence of this symmetric anisotropy.Comment: 5 pages, 4 ps figures, REVTEX, submitted to PR

Annealing-Dependent Magnetic Depth Profile in Ga[1-x]Mn[x]As

We have studied the depth-dependent magnetic and structural properties of as-grown and optimally annealed Ga[1-x]Mn[x]As films using polarized neutron reflectometry. In addition to increasing total magnetization, the annealing process was observed to produce a significantly more homogeneous distribution of the magnetization. This difference in the films is attributed to the redistribution of Mn at interstitial sites during the annealing process. Also, we have seen evidence of significant magnetization depletion at the surface of both as-grown and annealed films.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Surface spin-flop transition in a uniaxial antiferromagnetic Fe/Cr superlattice induced by a magnetic field of arbitrary direction

We studied the transition between the antiferromagnetic and the surface spin-flop phases of a uniaxial antiferromagnetic [Fe(14 \AA)/Cr(11 \AA]$_{\rm x20}$ superlattice. For external fields applied parallel to the in-plane easy axis, the layer-by-layer configuration, calculated in the framework of a mean-field one-dimensional model, was benchmarked against published polarized neutron reflectivity data. For an in-plane field $H$ applied at an angle $\psi \ne 0$ with the easy axis, magnetometry shows that the magnetization $M$ vanishes at H=0, then increases slowly with increasing $H$. At a critical value of $H$, a finite jump in $M(H)$ is observed for $\psi<5^{\rm o}$, while a smooth increase of $M$ $vs$ $H$ is found for $\psi>5^{\rm o}$. A dramatic increase in the full width at half maximum of the magnetic susceptibility is observed for $\psi \ge 5^{\rm o}$. The phase diagram obtained from micromagnetic calculations displays a first-order transition to a surface spin-flop phase for low $\psi$ values, while the transition becomes continuous for $\psi$ greater than a critical angle, $\psi_{\rm max} \approx 4.75^{\rm o}$. This is in fair agreement with the experimentally observed results.Comment: 24 pages, 7 figure

Complete determination of the reflection coefficient in neutron specular reflection by absorptive non-magnetic media

An experimental method is proposed which allows the complete determination of the complex reflection coefficient for absorptive media for positive and negative values of the momenta. It makes use of magnetic reference layers and is a modification of a recently proposed technique for phase determination based on polarization measurements. The complex reflection coefficient resulting from a simulated application of the method is used for a reconstruction of the scattering density profiles of absorptive non-magnetic media by inversion.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figures, reformulation of abstract, ref.12 added, typographical correction

Evidence for nonmonotonic magnetic field penetration in a type-I superconductor

Polarized neutron reflectometry (PNR) provides evidence that nonlocal electrodynamics governs the magnetic field penetration in an extreme low-k superconductor. The sample is an indium film with a large elastic mean free path (11 mkm) deposited on a silicon oxide wafer. It is shown that PNR can resolve the difference between the reflected neutron spin asymmetries predicted by the local and nonlocal theories of superconductivity. The experimental data support the nonlocal theory, which predicts a nonmonotonic decay of the magnetic field.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, LaTex, corrected typos and figure

Orientation of Vortices in a Superconducting Thin-Film: Quantitative Comparison of Spin-Polarized Neutron Reflectivity and Magnetization

We present a quantitative comparison of the magnetization measured by spin-polarized neutron reflectivity (SPNR) and DC magnetometry on a 1370 \AA\ -thick Nb superconducting film. As a function of magnetic field applied in the film plane, SPNR exhibits reversible behavior whereas the DC magnetization shows substantial hysteresis. The difference between these measurements is attributed to a rotation of vortex magnetic field out of the film plane as the applied field is reduced. Since SPNR measures only the magnetization parallel to the film plane whereas DC magnetization is strongly influenced by the perpendicular component of magnetization when there is a slight sample tilt, combining the two techniques allows one to distinguish two components of magnetization in a thin film.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures, It will be printed in PRB, Oct. 200

Satellite holmium M-edge spectra from the magnetic phase via resonant x-ray scattering

Developing an expression of resonant x-ray scattering (RXS) amplitude which is convenient for investigating the contributions from the higher rank tensor on the basis of a localized electron picture, we analyze the RXS spectra from the magnetic phases of Ho near the $M_{4,5}$ absorption edges. At the $M_5$ edge in the uniform helical phase, the calculated spectra of the absorption coefficient, the RXS intensities at the first and second satellite spots capture the properties the experimental data possess, such as the spectral shapes and the peak positions. This demonstrates the plausibility of the adoption of the localized picture in this material and the effectiveness of the spectral shape analysis. The latter point is markedly valuable since the azimuthal angle dependence, which is one of the most useful informations RXS can provides, is lacking in the experimental conditions. Then, by focusing on the temperature dependence of the spectral shape at the second satellite spot, we expect that the spectrum is the contribution of the pure rank two profile in the uniform helical and the conical phases while that is dominated by the rank one profile in the intermediate temperature phase, so-called spin slip phase. The change of the spectral shape as a function of temperature indicates a direct evidence of the change of magnetic structures undergoing. Furthermore, we predict that the intensity, which is the same order observed at the second satellite spot, is expected at the fourth satellite spot from the conical phase in the electric dipolar transition.Comment: 24 pages, 5 figure

Theory of commensurable magnetic structures in holmium

The tendency for the period of the helically ordered moments in holmium to lock into values which are commensurable with the lattice is studied theoretically as a function of temperature and magnetic field. The commensurable effects are derived in the mean-field approximation from numerical calculations of the free energy of various commensurable structures, and the results are compared with the extensive experimental evidence collected during the last ten years on the magnetic structures in holmium. In general the stability of the different commensurable structures is found to be in accord with the experiments, except for the tau=5/18 structure observed a few degrees below T_N in a b-axis field. The trigonal coupling recently detected in holmium is found to be the interaction required to explain the increased stability of the tau=1/5 structure around 42 K, and of the tau=1/4 structure around 96 K, when a field is applied along the c-axis.Comment: REVTEX, 31 pages, 7 postscript figure