Controlling the magnetic ground state in Cr1-x Vx films

We demonstrate the ability to control the magnetic phase diagram of Cr1-x Vx(110) thin films grown on a W(110) substrate. Using angle-resolved photoemission, we have mapped paramagnetic and commensurate and incommensurate antiferromagnetic phases as a function of temperature, film thickness, and composition. We show that surface-localized electron states play a key role in the observed phase behaviors and suggest from this that it might be possible to control the magnetic phase by applying an external electric field.