The structure and magneto-optic properties of MnAl-based thin films

Authors

• J.X. Shen, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
• Roger D. Kirby, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
• David J. Sellmyer, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

May 1990

Comments

Published by American Institute of Physics. J. Applied Physics 67, 4929 (1990). © 1990 American Institute of Physics. Permission to use. http://jap.aip.org/jap/.

Abstract

We have measured the magnetization and magneto-optic Kerr rotation of sputtered thin films of Mn-Al-Cu ternary alloys over a wide composition range and for substrate temperatures between 25 and 450 °C. Magnetization and x-ray diffraction measurements suggest that our films are a mixture of the ferromagnetic kappa (κ) phase of MnAl and a highly paramagnetic amorphous phase. Room-temperature magneto-optic measurements on these films show a saturation polar Kerr rotation of up to 0.12° with little wavelength dependence.