3d Transition-metal Films on W(100): Effects of Alloying on Magnetism

A surprising magnetic behavior of 3d transition-metal monolayers on the (100) tungsten surface has been reported recently [Ferriani et al., 2005]. The tendency to ferromagnetic (V, Cr, Mn) vs. antiferromagnetic (Fe, Co) order in these layers differs significantly from the situation on many other substrates, e.g. on W(110), Cu(100) or Pd(100). The aim of our work is to explore further the properties of the magnetic monolayers on W(100). Specifically, we focus on alloyed monolayers composed of two different 3d transition metals. The presence of two different elements in the surface layer adds another type of interatomic interactions. If the magnetic interaction between chemically different atoms counteracts the interaction between chemically equivalent atoms, new types of magnetic order may arise due to the frustration. We have calculated ground state properties of disordered layers of different compositions by using the tight-binding linear muffin-tin orbital method.