Controlling the magnetic ground state in Cr1-x Vx films

Phys Rev Lett. 2007 Oct 5;99(14):147208. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.147208. Epub 2007 Oct 5.

Abstract

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.