Unusual magnetic-field-induced phase transition in the mixed state of superconducting NbSe2

The thermal conductivity kappa in the basal plane of single-crystalline hexagonal NbSe2 has been measured as a function of magnetic field H, oriented both along and perpendicular to the c axis, at several temperatures below T(c). With the magnetic field in the basal plane and oriented parallel to the heat flux we observed, in fields well below H(c2), an unexpected hysteretic behavior of kappa(H) with all the generic features of a first order phase transition. The transition is not manifest in the kappa(H) curves, if H is still in the basal plane but oriented perpendicularly to the heat-flux direction. The origin of the transition is not yet understood.     

Antiferromagnetic resonance and phase diagrams of gadolinium ferroborate GdFe<Subscript>3</Subscript>(BO<Subscript>3</Subscript>)<Subscript>4</Subscript>

Antiferromagnetic resonance in single crystals of rhombohedral gadolinium ferroborate GdFe₃(BO₃)₄ was studied. The frequency-field dependences of antiferromagnetic resonance over the frequency range 26–70 GHz and the temperature dependences of resonance parameters for magnetic fields oriented along the crystal axis and in the basal plane were determined. It was found that the iron subsystem, which can be treated as a two-sublattice antiferromagnet with anisotropy of the easy-plane type, experienced ordering at T=38 K. At temperatures below 20 K, the gadolinium subsystem with the opposite anisotropy sign strongly influenced the anisotropic properties of the crystal. This resulted in a spontaneous spin-reorientation transition from the easy-plane to the easy-axis state at 10 K. Below 10 K, magnetic field-induced transitions between the states were observed. Experimental phase diagrams on the temperature-magnetic field plane were constructed for fields oriented along the crystal axis and in the basal plane. A simple model was used to calculate the critical transition fields. The results were in close agreement with the experimental values measured at T=4.2 K for both field orientations.     

Fe_3O_4单晶薄膜磁性电场调控的微磁学仿真研究

磁性薄膜磁学特性电场调控的相关研究对开发新型低功耗磁信息器件具有突出意义.本文基于电场调控磁性的基本理论,以OOMMF(Object Oriented Micro-Magnetic Frame)微磁学仿真软件为工具,研究了电场对生长于PZN-PT单晶衬底上Fe_3O_4单晶薄膜磁学特性的调控.研究结果显示:无外加电场时,薄膜表现出典型的软磁特性;沿衬底[001]方向施加的外加电场可以使得薄膜矫顽力、矩形比等磁学特性发生显著改变:当外加磁场沿[100]([010])时,施加正值(负值)电场强度可以显著增大薄膜的矫顽力与矩形比,当电场强度不小于0.6 MV/m时薄膜矩形比达到1.这是因为外加电场导致薄膜产生单轴应力各向异性,使得薄膜的等效磁各向异性发生了从无外电场下的面内四重磁晶各向异性向高电场下的近似单轴磁各向异性的过渡.外加1 MV/m与-1 MV/m的电场时等效易磁化轴分别沿[100]与[010]方向.另外,外加1 MV/m(-1 MV/m)的电场强度可以使得铁磁共振的频率增大(减小)接近1 GHz.     

Magnetostriction studies of magnetic phase transitions in the copper metaborate CuB2O4

The field dependences of the longitudinal and transversal magnetostriction of the copper metaborate CuB₂O₄ were measured at various temperatures below the Néel point in magnetic fields directed along the tetragonal axis or in the basal plane. Magnetostriction was found to exhibit jumps at magnetic-field-induced phase transitions to a commensurate weak ferromagnetic state, as well as to grow smoothly in fields above and below the critical level. The magnetostriction observed in a magnetic field directed along the tetragonal axis is shown to be primarily caused by volume dilatation of the crystal. The experimental data obtained were used to construct the magnetic phase diagram of copper metaborate magnetized along the tetragonal axis.     

States of cobalt fluoride in a strong magnetic field

The behavior of the magnetic subsystem of cobalt fluoride is investigated in a strong magnetic field oriented in an arbitrary direction in space. In the case where the magnetic field is out of the planes passing through the easiest magnetization axis A and the axis [100] ‖ X or through the easiest magnetization axis A and the axis [010] ‖ Y, it follows from the derived system of equations that the antiferromagnetic vector l does not change direction to be align with the basal plane, provided the magnetic field has a nonzero component along the A axis. It is demonstrated that the antiferromagnetic vector l becomes parallel to the basal plane only when the magnetic field is perpendicular to the A axis. The case of the magnetic field directed parallel to the [110] axis is examined thoroughly. The critical value of the magnetic field is determined at which the antiferromagnetic vector l becomes parallel to the basal plane and perpendicular to the external magnetic field H for H _⊥ → ∞.     

Asymmetrically shaped hysteresis loop in exchange-biased FeNi/FeMn film

The magnetization reversal of the bilayer polycrystalline FeNi(50 Å)/FeMn(50 Å) film sputtered in a magnetic field has been studied by magnetic and magneto-optical techniques. The external magnetic fields were applied along the easy or hard magnetization axis of the ferromagnetic permalloy layer. The asymmetry of hysteresis loop has been found. Appreciable asymmetry and the exchange bias were observed only in the field applied along the easy axis. The specific features of magnetization reversal were explained within the phenomenological model that involves high-order exchange anisotropy and misalignment of the easy axes of the antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic layers. It has been shown that the film can exist in one of three equilibrium magnetic states in the field applied along the easy axis. The transitions between these states occur as first-order phase transitions. The observed hysteresis loop asymmetry is related to the existence of the metastable state.     

Probing the interface fluctuations in semiconductor superlattices using a magneto-transport technique

We have analysed the vertical transport properties of a GaAs/AlAs short period superlattice as the crossed magnetic field is rotated in the plane of the layers. The rotation of the magnetic field has been used to probe the interface roughness along the different in-plane crystallographic directions. Two maxima separated by 180° in the current intensity have been observed when the magnetic field is rotated through 360°. We interpret our results in terms of anisotropic scattering from elliptical interface defects of which the great axis is along [11̄0] and the minor one along [110].     

Dependence of the specific heat of a La1.85Sr0.15CuO4 superconducting single crystal on the magnetic field direction in the a-b plane

The low-temperature specific heat of a La_1.85Sr_0.15CuO₄ superconducting single crystal was investigated in magnetic fields up to 8 T and with four orientations — in the a-b plane (along the (100) and (110) directions) and at angles of 45° and 90° with respect to the a-b plane (along the (103) and (001) directions). Anisotropy was observed in the field dependence of the specific heat in the a-b plane. The specific heat was found to be minimum with the field oriented in the direction of the a axis and maximum with the field oriented in a direction making an angle of 45° with the a axis. This can be explained by the anisotropy of the energy gap, whose minimum lies along the (110) direction. For all orientations of the magnetic field the specific heat of the mixed state at low temperatures is a nonlinear function of the magnetic field strength. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 66, No. 11, 683–687 (10 December 1997)     

Magnetoresistance anisotropy of strontium ruthenate films grown coherently on a TiO2-terminated SrTiO3(001) substrate

The SrRuO₃ films with a thickness of 80 nm have been coherently grown on a TiO₂-terminated SrTiO₃(001) substrate. Biaxial mechanical stresses induce a considerable difference between the unit cell parameters of the SrRuO₃ layer in the substrate plane (??3.904 ?) and along the normal to the substrate surface (??3.952 ?). The electrical resistivity of the SrRuO3 film decreases practically linearly with increasing magnetic field strength H when the latter is parallel to the current I _b and the projection of the easy magnetization axis in the substrate plane. At T = 4.2 K, ??₀ H = 14 T, and the magnetic field oriented along the hard magnetization axis, the negative anisotropic magnetoresistance of the grown layers reaches 16% and exerts a notice-able effect on the response of electrical resistivity of the SrRuO₃ film to the magnetic field.     

Chirality of a forming spin spring and remagnetization features of a bilayer ferromagnetic system

Distribution of a magnetic moment in an exchange-coupled bilayer Fe/SmCo epitaxial structure grown on a (110) MgO substrate is visualized by the magnetooptic indicator film technique. The direction and the magnitude of the effective magnetization in this structure are determined both under external magnetic fields of variable magnitude and direction and after the removal of these fields. It is shown that such a heterostructure is remagnetized by a nonuniform rotation of a magnetic moment both along the thickness of a sample and in its plane. A field antiparallel to the axis of unidirectional anisotropy gives rise to spin springs with opposite chiralities in different regions of the magnetically soft ferromagnetic layer. The contributions of these springs to the net magnetization cancel out, thus decreasing the averaged magnetic moment and the remanent magnetization without their rotation. When the external field deviates from the easy axis, the balance is violated and the sample exhibits a quasi-uniform rotation of the magnetic moment. Asymmetry in the rotation of the magnetic moment is observed under the reversal of the field as well as under repeated remagnetization cycles. It is established that a monochiral spin spring is also formed in a rotating in-plane magnetic field when the magnitude of the field exceeds the critical value. Possible mechanisms of remagnetization in this system are discussed with regard to the original disordered orientation of magnetization of the magnetically soft layer with respect to the easy axis, which is defined by the variance of unidirectional anisotropy axes of this layer on the interface.     

Ferromagnetic resonance features in anisotropic magnetic films with a metastable state of magnetic moment

In experiments on single-domain magnetic films with uniaxial in-plane anisotropy, a new homogeneous ferromagnetic resonance peak was observed in a planar magnetic field oriented at an angle to the easy magnetization axis and directed opposite to the magnetization projection onto the field direction. The peak was observed in fields smaller than the magnetization reversal field of the film, and the origin of the peak was found to be related to the metastable state of the magnetic moment. A good agreement was obtained between phenomenological calculations and experimental data.     

Induced magnetic superstructure in the FeBO3: Mg weak ferromagnet

The domain structure of a FeBO₃: Mg single crystal was studied with a polarizing microscope. It was found that application of a magnetic field along the hard axis in the basal plane of this weak ferromagnet gives rise, within a certain field-strength interval, to a magnetic superstructure observed against the background of the macrodomain structure of the sample. The magnetic superstructure is visually represented as a quasi-periodic system of bands oriented perpendicular to the applied field, with an alternating magneto-optic image contrast along an axis coinciding with the magnetic-field direction. The absence of sharp changes in the contrast of the magnetic superstructure image along this axis is explained as being due to the smooth variation of the sublattice magnetic-moment azimuth with spatial coordinates. The results obtained are discussed within the parameters of the instability of a uniform magnetic state of a system in the random field induced by a magnetic field.     

Singularity in high-frequency susceptibility of thin magnetic films with uniaxial anisotropy

A sharp peak of magnetic susceptibility has been observed in the ferromagnetic resonance spectra of uniaxial magnetic films placed in a planar field directed orthogonal to the easy magnetization axis, along which a pumping high-frequency magnetic field has been oriented. The peak width is considerably narrower than the line width of the uniform ferromagnetic resonance, and its position in a field equal to the film anisotropy field does not depend on the pumping frequency. The nature of the peak is associated with a drastic increase in the static transverse susceptibility of the film in the vicinity of the anisotropy field. It is shown phenomenologically that the peak can be observed only for quality samples with small angular and amplitude dispersion of the uniaxial anisotropy.     

Domain wall oscillations in magnetic garnet films

Domain wall oscillations in magnetic garnet films have been observed in the stripe lattice and in the bubble lattice for applied in-plane magnetic fields approaching the saturation limit of the film. Observations are reported in (111) and (001) oriented films. An effective domain wall mass model is developed which allows the variation of the azimuthal angle of the spins in a moving wall when an in-plane field is applied in the plane of the wall. The new model gives results which are in much better agreement with the experimental results than previous models. Reasonable agreement is also observed between theory and experiment when the cubic anisotropy is included. Experimental evidence of the Hubert wall structure and its change for in-plane fields less than 8M is also reported.     

Giant quantum oscillations of the magnetothermoelectric coefficient in semimetallic Sb-Bi and Sb-As alloys

Quantum oscillations of the magnetothermoelectric coefficient α_ii(B) are investigated in semimetallic Sb-Bi and Sb-As alloys in stationary magnetic fields up to 15 T and at temperatures from 1.9 to 30 K. Quantum oscillations of α_ii(B) of a giant amplitude are observed when the longitudinal or transverse magnetic field is oriented along a binary C ₂ axis or a bisectory C ₁ axis and also when rotating the transverse magnetic field in angle ranges up to [+55°, ?55°] around them.     

Magnetic properties of field-annealed FeCo thin films

Fe₅₀Co₅₀ thin films with thickness of 30 and 4 nm have been produced by rf sputtering on glass substrates, and their surface has been observed with atomic force microscopy (AFM) and magnetic force microscopy (MFM); MFM images reveal a non-null component of the magnetization perpendicular to the film plane. Selected samples have been annealed in vacuum at temperatures of 300 and 350 °C for times between 20 and 120 min, under a static magnetic field of 100 Oe. DC hysteresis loops have been measured with an alternating gradient force magnetometer (AGFM) along the direction of the field applied during annealing and orthogonally to it. Samples with a thickness of 4 nm display lower coercive fields with respect to the 30 nm thick ones. Longer annealing times affect the development of a harder magnetic phase more oriented off the film plane. The field applied during annealing induces a moderate magnetic anisotropy only on 30 nm thick films.     

Change in domain structure of a cobalt crystal in a magnetic field

The domain structure of a cobalt crystal in the plane parallel to the hexagonal axis was observed by the powder figure method. The magnetization process was studied in fields variously oriented with respect to the [0001] axis. Several peculiarities of domain structure behavior which confirm existing theoretical concepts were found.     

Effect of biaxial anisotropy in iron garnet films with in-plane magnetization on the shape of pulsed magnetization reversal curves

The curves of pulsed magnetization reversal in iron garnet films with easy-plane anisotropy are studied. Magnetization reversal is initiated by a pulsed magnetic field aligned with the axis of biaxial anisotropy lying in the plane of the film. The curves exhibit kinks at fields close to the effective field of biaxial anisotropy. Magnetization reversal mechanisms in fields above and below the inflection point are discussed.     

Measurement of the 101Ru-Knight shift of superconducting Sr2RuO4 in a parallel magnetic field

101Ru-Knight shift (101K) in the spin-triplet superconductor Sr2RuO4 was measured under magnetic fields parallel to the c axis (perpendicular to the RuO2 plane), which is the promising superconducting (SC) d-vector direction in a zero field. We succeeded in measuring K(c) in the field range from 200 to 1200 Oe and at temperatures down to 80 mK, using nuclear-quadrupole-resonance spectra. We found that (101)K(c) is invariant with respect to the field and temperature on passing through H(c2) and T(c) above 200 Oe. This indicates that the spin susceptibility along the c axis does not change in the SC state, at least, in the field greater than 200 Oe. The results imply that the SC d vector is in the RuO2 plane when the magnetic field is applied to the c axis.     

Solitons of TMMC in a strong magnetic field — Switching of hard anisotropy axis —

A switching of effective hard anisotropy axis is expected to occur in TMMC in the experimentally accessible field range, when the magnetic field is applied parallel to the easy plane. This effect explains well the observed deviation at high fields of nuclear spin-lattice relaxation time and Néel temperature from the previously proposed sine-Gordon soliton theory.