Exploration of magnetic fluctuations in PdFe films

J Phys Condens Matter. 2013 Jul 3;25(26):266001. doi: 10.1088/0953-8984/25/26/266001. Epub 2013 Jun 10.

Abstract

We investigated magnetic phase transitions, magnetic anisotropy, and magnetic domains in Pd1-xFex alloys with different Fe concentrations x = 2.2-7.2%. The Curie temperature depends linearly on the Fe concentration in the regime studied. The magnetization is dominantly in-plane with a small out-of-plane remanent contribution. Resonant magnetic small angle scattering with circularly polarized x-rays tuned to the L3 resonance edge of Fe revealed a small angle scattering ring corresponding to magnetic domain fluctuations on a length scale of 100 nm. These fluctuations are isotropically distributed in the film plane and appear to have an out-of-plane component. On increasing the transverse coherence of the incident beam, the scattering ring decomposes in a speckle pattern, indicative of magnetic correlations on a length scale smaller than the x-ray coherence length of about 4 μm.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alloys / chemistry*
  • Anisotropy
  • Iron / chemistry*
  • Magnetics*
  • Palladium / chemistry*
  • Phase Transition
  • Scattering, Small Angle
  • Temperature
  • X-Rays

Substances

  • Alloys
  • Palladium
  • Iron