Magnetization-induced third harmonic generation in magnetic nanogranular films: Correlation with giant magnetoresistance

Magnetization-induced third harmonic (TH) generation was observed in magnetic nanostructures—nanogranular Co_xAg_{1? x} films—possessing giant magnetoresistance (GMR). The magnetization-induced contribution to the TH intensity was studied as a function of the concentration of a magnetic component (cobalt) in the films. Magnetic contrast of the TH intensity was found to correlate with the GMR coefficient: both parameters simultaneously reach extremum in the range of cobalt concentrations x～0.3–0.35.     

Domain observation and transition from giant magnetoresistance to anisotropy magnetoresistance in Ag1−x(Ni0.8Co0.2)x granular films

A series of Ag_1−x(Ni_0.8Co_0.2)_x granular film samples were prepared using an ion-beam cosputtering technique. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were performed to investigate the microstructure of these samples. The results measured using a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) show a gradual change from superparamagnetism to ferromagnetism as x increases in these samples. Magnetoresistance was measured using a conventional four terminal method at room temperature. As x increases, a transition from giant magnetoresistance (GMR) to anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) has been observed. The stripe-type domains have been observed using magnetic force microscopy (MFM) in the high x samples, and the domains gradually disappear as x decreases. It suggests that the transition from GMR to AMR may result from intergranular interaction (not only dipolar) in the samples as x increases.     

Correlation between structural and giant magnetoresistance properties of Fe–Ag nanogranular films

Fe _x Ag_1?x granular thin-films, with the atomic Fe concentration, x, ranging from 0 up to 0.5, were deposited by dc magnetron co-sputtering. The giant magnetoresistance (GMR) intensity is maximum at x _I  = 0.32, while the maximum of GMR efficiency, γ, i.e., the change of GMR intensity for a unit change of reduced squared magnetization, is observed at x _γ = 0.26. Owing to the spin-dependent scattering features, the GMR intensity and γ depend on both the concentration and the arrangement of the magnetic material. Therefore, to explain the difference between x _I and x _γ and to understand how the structural properties affect the magnetoresistive behaviour, we performed magnetization, Mössbauer and X-ray diffraction measurements as a function of x. X-ray data indicate that the granular films exhibit three different regimes: for x < 0.2, they can be described as a Fe–Ag solid solution; for 0.2 < x < 0.32 the Fe–Ag solid solution is still observed and very small Fe precipitates are found; finally, for x > 0.32, a Fe–Ag saturated solid solution is detected, containing bcc Fe clusters whose size is about 10 nm. Differently, for all the concentrations, magnetization data show the presence of Fe precipitates, whose size increases with x, and the Mössbauer investigation confirms this picture. We find that the samples grown at x = x _γ display the finest Fe dispersion within the Ag matrix, as the Fe–Ag solid solution is nearly at saturation and the Fe cluster size is of the order of a few nanometers; this arrangement possibly maximizes the magnetic/non-magnetic interface extension thus enhancing the GMR efficiency. If x is slightly increased, the increase in total Fe content compensates the GMR efficiency reduction, so the GMR intensity maximum is observed.     

Estimate of the Degree of the Spin Polarization of a Ferromagnet from Data on the Superconductor/Ferromagnet Proximity Effect

The superconductor/ferromagnet proximity effect in the Pb/Co₂Cr_1–xFe _x Al bilayer systems has been studied. Thin films of the Heusler alloy Co₂Cr_1–xFe _x Al have been prepared at different substrate temperatures. It has been established using Andreev spectroscopy of point contacts that the degree of spin polarization of conduction electrons in the Heusler alloy is on the order of 30 and 70% for the films prepared at a substrate temperature of 300 and 600 K, respectively. It has been found that the dependence of the superconducting transition temperature on the thickness of the Pb layer at a fixed thickness of the Heusler layer is determined by the degree of spin polarization of the conduction band in the ferromagnetic layer.     

Preference orientation and magnetic properties of CoxFe3−xO4 nanocrystalline thin films on quartz substrate

Nanocrystalline spinel ferrite thin films of Co_xFe_3−xO₄ (x=0.3$x=0.3$, 0.5, 0.8, and 1.0) have been prepared by RF sputtering on quartz substrate without a buffer layer at room temperature and annealed at the temperature range from 200 to 600 °C in air. The as-sputtered films exhibit the preferred orientation and the high magnetization and coercivity. After annealing, the preferred orientations become poor, but the magnetization and coercivity increase. The sample with a magnetization of 455 emu/cm³, a coercivity of 2.8 kOe, a remanence ratio of 0.72, and a maximum energy product of 2.4 MGOe has been obtained. The influence of Co ions and annealing temperature on the magnetic properties has been discussed.     

Magnetic studies on electrodeposited Cu1−xCox alloy films

Six Cu_1−xCo_x alloy films were prepared by an electrodeposition technique. The compositions of the films were determined to be , 0.13, 0.17, 0.19, 0.21, 0.26 by an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The crystal structure is FCC-Cu for all films but a shift in the diffraction lines is observed with increasing Co content. The giant magnetoresistance effect was determined in some of the films below 200 K. Magnetisation curves showed no saturation at 10 kOe and the curves of the samples which have a large magnetoresistance value are inclined more than the curves of the other low magnetoresistance samples. This may be due to the degree of magnetic moment distribution in these samples.     

Preparation and transport properties of Ba1−x Sr x CuO2+δ infinite layer films grown by molecular-beam epitaxy

Thin films of Ba_1–x Sr _x CuO₂₊ in the infinite layer structure were prepared by molecular beam epitaxy on SrTiO₃ substrates. Excellent in-plane order during growth was shown by RHEED. The lattice constant inc-direction was determined by x-ray diffraction. It changed from 0.404 nm to 0.345 nm whenx increased from 0 to 1. The film surfaces were smooth with some outgrowths as revealed by atomic force microscopy. Excellent crystal structure and epitaxy of the films was demonstrated by high resolution transmission electron microscopy. The room temperature dc resistivities of the films varied from 10^–3 cm to 10² cm, depending onx and on the oxidation conditions during growth. The resistivities of most films showed negative temperature coefficients and obeyed the conduction model of variable range hopping at low temperatures. In the composition rangex=0.5–0.8, however, an anomalous resistance dependence on temperature was observed in many samples. The resistivities started to deviate from the monotonic behaviour just below 200 K and in some cases dropped remarkably at temperatures below 140 K.     

Properties of RF sputtered ZnxCd1−xS thin films

Zn _x Cd_1–x S thin films (0x0.20) were prepared using rf sputtering in argon atmosphere and characterized using X-ray diffraction, optical transmission, electrical resistivity and photoconductive decay measurements. The films were found to possess hexagonal structure. The crystallite size and degree of preferential orientation were found to decrease with the increase ofx and to improve upon annealing in vacuum at 250 °C. The transmission edge shifted towards shorter wavelengths with the increase ofx in agreement with the expected shift in the energy band gap. The films were found to exhibit room temperature resistivity in the range 100–1000 cm. The obtained values of long wavelength transmission (70–80%) and minority carrier diffusion length (30 m) are high enough for the application of these films in the field of solar cells.     

Ion irradiation—a technique providing a criterion to distinguish between amorphous and nanocrystalline In1−x Pd x films

In_1–x Pd _x films with 0.2x0.75 have been prepared by vapour quenching at 4.2 K or 77 K, respectively. To test whether amorphous (a-) phases can be obtained in this way, the resistance behavior and the electron diffraction patterns of the as-prepared and annealed films were studied insitu. For films withx=0.25 additional information could be acquired from their superconducting behavior. Combining these results one concludes that a-phases exist for the compositional range 0.2x0.6, which are stable up to crystallization temperaturesT _x within the range 250 KT _x 420 K. Irradiation of the crystallized films at low temperatures (4.2 K or 77 K) with heavy ions (350 keV Ar⁺ or Kr⁺) leads to complete re-amorphization. Forx=0.67 corresponding to InPd₂ a nanocrystalline (n-) phase is obtained by vapour quenching at 77 K as inferred from x-ray diffraction. AtT _x =700 K, thesen-films exhibit a drop of the electrical resistance indicating the beginning of significant grain growth. After recooling, Kr⁺ bombardment at 77 K does not restore the high electrical resistance of the as-quenchedn-film. This result can be used as a criterion when studying quenched films withx=0.625 corresponding to In₃Pd₅. In this case, a resistance drop is found atT _x =600 K, but the diffraction techniques do not allow an uniquevocal distinction between amorphous and nanocrystalline. This becomes possible by low temperature ion irradiation after annealing atT>T _x . The bombardment results in resistance changes, which saturate well-below the value of the as-quenched sample implying nanocrystallinity for the latter. Based on this criterion, a phase-diagram for quenched In_1–x Pd _x is provided with 0x1 containing the newly detecteda- andn-phases.     

双合成反铁磁结构及其对自旋阀巨磁电阻效应的影响

用直流磁控溅射方法制备了双合成反铁磁结构Co₉₀Fe₁₀(5 nm)/Ru(x nm)/Co₉₀Fe₁₀(3 nm)/Ru(y nm)/Co₉₀Fe₁₀(5 nm)(x=0.45,0.45,1.00; y=0.45,1.00,1.00)的系列样品,并对样品的性能及其作为钉扎层对自旋阀巨磁电阻(GMR)效应的影响进行了研究 关键词： 双合成反铁磁 自旋阀 巨磁电阻     

Eliashberg theory for disordered superconductors. II. Tunneling into disordered two-dimensional Pb films

A series ofc-axis oriented YBa₂Cu₃O _x -films with different oxygen content were prepared by laser deposition. The oxygen contentx was determined by X-ray diffraction and by resonant Rutherford-back-scattering (RRBS) measurements. Thec-axis length in these films of YBa₂Cu₃O _x is about 0.5% larger compared to bulk values. We describe transport measurements in magnetic fields up to 7 Tesla between room temperature andT _c in samples with an oxygen content between the orthorhombic-to-tetragonal transition (x6.4) and full oxygenation (x7). The ratio /R _H was investigated with respect to the two-dimensional Luttinger liquid theory and the model of the two-dimensional ionic metal. We report on deviations from the expected quadratic temperature behaviour of /R _H , especially in films with high oxygen content.     

Giant magnetoresistance in Co–Al2O3 granular films prepared by self-organized growth

Co–Al₂O₃ granular films with a narrow distribution in cluster size of Co clusters embedded in Al₂O₃ matrix were prepared by sequential deposition based on self-organized growth. Resistivity dependence of giant magnetoresistance (GMR) was studied. The GMR takes a maximum of 5.2% at room temperature and 9.4% at 13 K and 5700 Gs when the resistivity of the sample is 4×10⁵–7×10⁵ μΩ cm. The temperature dependence of resistivities and GMR were discussed especially. A temperature dependence of conductance ρ∼exp[T₁/(T+T₀)] was found, which indicates the dominant conduction mechanism is fluctuation-induced tunneling. A linear relationship of GMR versus T was observed, GMR=a–kT, in applied magnetic field 5700 Gs. The remarkable character of temperature dependence of GMR should be due to the special microstructure that the clusters are monodispersed in the films.     

Electrical and switching properties of the Se90Te10−xAgx (0?x?6) films

Amorphous Se₉₀Te_10−xAg_x (0?x?6) films are obtained by thermal evaporation technique under vacuum from the synthesized bulk materials on pyrographite and glass substrates. X-ray analysis shows the amorphous nature of the obtained films. The dc electrical conductivity was studied for different thicknesses (165-711 nm) as a function of temperature in the range (298-323 K) below the corresponding T_g for the studied films. The obtained results show that the conduction activation energy has a single value through the investigated range of temperature which can be explained in accordance with Mott and Davis model. The I-V characteristic curves for the film compositions are found to be typical for a memory switch. The mean value of the threshold voltage increases linearly with increasing film thickness (165-711 nm), while it decreases exponentially with increasing temperature in the investigated range for the studied compositions. The results are explained in accordance with the electrothermal model for the switching process. The effect of Ag on the studied parameters is also investigated.     

Effects of high-temperature annealing on magnetic ordering in thin films of Bi2O3-CaO-Fe2O3

Magnetic properties of rf sputtered (0.5–x) Bi₂O₃-x CaO-0.5 Fe₂O₃ (x=0–0.5) have been studied through magnetization and ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) measurements. Films prepared in a mixed oxygen-argon atmosphere are amorphous and paramagnetic. Samples annealed in air at temperatures of 700–1000 K show a ferrimagnetic behavior even though X-ray diffraction data for the films do not indicate the precipitation of any crystalline ferrimagnetic compounds. The room-temperature saturation magnetization 4M and the uniaxial anisotropy field H _u , decrease with increasing x. The Curie temperature and the gyromagnetic ratio increase with increase in the concentration of CaO. Studies on the effects of sputtering atmospheres on magnetic parameters show that films sputtered in oxygen-rich atmospheres have a large 4M and H _u , and a relatively small and FMR line-width. Ordered amorphous clusters are suggested to give rise to the observed ferrimagnetic character in the annealed films.     

Optical Properties of Films of Cu x Ag1−x InSe2 Solid Solutions Obtained by Laser Evaporation

The structure and optical properties of the films of ternary compounds AgInSe₂, CuInSe₂ and Cu _x Ag_1–x InSe₂ solid solutions obtained by pulsed laser evaporation are investigated. It has been established that the films like bulk crystals have the structure of chalcopyrite. By the transmission and reflection spectra near the edge of natural absorption the refractive index and coefficient of optical absorption are calculated and the energies of interband transitions and the crystalline and spinorbit splitting are determined.     

Co掺杂对ZnO薄膜结构和性能的影响

采用PVA溶胶-凝胶方法，在玻璃衬底上制备了Zn_1-xCo_xO薄膜，利用X射线衍射仪(XRD)研究了不同Co含量对其微结构的影响.采用振动样品磁强计(VSM)测量了Zn_0.88Co_0.12O样品室温下的磁性.采用荧光光谱仪研究了Zn_1-xCo_xO样品室温下的发光特性，分析掺杂含量对其发光性能的影响，发现随着掺杂含量的增加，蓝光发光峰有一定的红移现象. 关键词： PVA方法 ZnO 掺杂     

Giant Hall effect in (GaAs)Fe granular films

A series of (GaAs)_1 − xFe_x (x: volume fraction) films with Fe granules embedded in GaAs matrix were prepared by magnetron sputtering. Hall Effect of the films was characterized. The largest saturated Hall resistivity of was observed in (GaAs)₃₀Fe₇₀ film at room temperature, which is over 2 orders larger than that of pure Fe, about 1 order larger than that of (NiFe)–(Al₂O₃) and (NiCo)–(SiO₂) granular films prepared under the same preparation conditions, and 150% larger than that of Ge₃₀Fe₇₀.     

Magnetic domain structures and magnetotransport properties in Co-Ag granular thin films

The magnetic microstructures and magnetotransport properties in granular Co_xAg_1-x films with 17%≤x≤62% were studied. Magnetic force microscopy (MFM) observations showed the presence of magnetic stripe domains in as-deposited samples with x≥45% and the evolution of the magnetic domain patterns to in-plane domains with annealing. A perpendicular magnetic anisotropy as high as about 8×10⁵ ergs/cc for as-deposited Co₆₂Ag₃₈ and about 6×10⁵ ergs/cc for as-deposited Co₄₅Ag₅₅ was observed by magnetization and torque measurements. With increasing annealing temperature, the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy became negative. The origin of the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy may be attributed to a rhombohedral distortion of the cubic cell due to residual substrate-film stresses. The magnetic stripe domains are the consequence of the interplay of the indirect or direct exchange, perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and dipolar interactions. Finally, magnetoresistance (MR) curves displayed training behaviours and different shapes when measured with different configurations (parallel, transverse and perpendicular). It is proposed that the existence and the evolution of the magnetic domain structures strongly affect the magnetotransport properties due to the extra contribution of the electron scattering at the domain walls. Furthermore, an anisotropic MR also contributes to the overall MR curves. Received: 2 March 2000 / Accepted: 28 March 2000 / Published online: 23 May 2001     

Electrical conductivity of (Ag2S)x-(GeS2)1-x glasses

We clearly demonstrate, on the basis of experimental measurements of the electrical conductivity of (Ag₂S) _x -(GeS₂)_1-x glasses, that the power-law behaviour of the polarization ac conductivity, _ac=A ^s , can be used. The exponents, in this case, should be considered as a function of temperature and frequency. Moreover, the parameters depends on details of the structure, i.e., the nature of disorder.     

反应气压对直流磁控反应溅射制备的氧化银薄膜的结构和光学性质的影响

利用直流磁控反应溅射技术,通过调节反应气压(RP),在250 ℃衬底温度下制备了一系列氧化银 (Ag_xO) 薄膜,并利用X射线衍射谱、能量色散谱和分光光度计重点研究了RP对Ag_xO薄膜的结构和光学性质的影响. 研究结果表明,随着RP从0.5 Pa升高到3.5 Pa,薄膜明显呈现了从两相(AgO+Ag₂O)到单相(Ag₂O)结构再到两相(Ag₂O+AgO)结构的演变. 特 关键词： 氧化银薄膜 直流磁控反应溅射 X射线衍射谱 光学性质