Microscopic properties of degradation-free capped GdN thin films studied by Electron Spin Resonance

TL;DR

This study investigates the microscopic magnetic properties of high-quality GdN thin films using ESR and FMR, revealing two ferromagnetic components and their temperature-dependent behaviors, with analysis of magnetic anisotropies and lattice correlations.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the ferromagnetic components and magnetic anisotropies of GdN thin films through detailed ESR and FMR analysis, linking magnetic properties to lattice structure.

Findings

Identification of two ferromagnetic components at low temperatures

Resonance shift correlates with Curie temperature

Divergence of line width observed around 57 K

Abstract

The microscopic magnetic properties of high-quality GdN thin films have been investigated by electron spin resonance (ESR) and ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) measurements. Detailed temperature dependence ESR measurements have shown the existence of two ferromagnetic components at lower temperatures which was not clear from the previous magnetization measurements. The temperature, where the resonance shift occurs for the major ferromagnetic component, seems to be consistent with the Curie temperature obtained from the previous magnetization measurement. On the other hand, the divergence of line width is observed around 57 K for the minor ferromagnetic component. The magnetic anisotropies of GdN thin films have been obtained by the analysis of FMR angular dependence observed at 4.2 K. Combining the X-ray diffraction results, the correlation between the magnetic anisotropies and the lattice constants is discussed.