Structural, Magnetic, and Microwave Properties of BaFe Mn O Thin Films

Epitaxial manganese substituted M-type barium ferrite thin films are deposited by alternating target laser ablation deposition (ATLAD) of BaFe O , Fe O , and MnFe O targets. The crystal structure and the epitaxy of the films are investigated by X-ray diffraction. Surface morphology is studied by atomic force microscopy. Magnetic properties of the films are characterized by vibrating sample magnetometry and magnetization as a function of temperature measurements. Ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) measurements are utilized to study the dynamic properties of the films. Possible mechanisms for main FMR linewidth broadening as a result of Mn substitution, such as increased conductivity and the presence of Jahn-Teller effect associated with octahedrally coordinated Mn cations, are briefly discussed. Extended absorption X-ray fine structure measurements are performed to determine the cation distribution in the hexagonal unit cell. The observed 15–20% increase in saturation magnetization at 4 K and 50 K increase in the Néel temperature in comparison to bulk reference values are attributed to differences in cation distribution as a result of atomic scale deposition by the ATLAD technique.