Crystal Structure and Magnetic Properties of Dy/Gd Superlattices

Abstract

Epitaxial Dy/Gd superlattices were successfully synthesized using high-vacuum magnetron sputtering and their structural and magnetic properties have been studied. Optimum conditions for the epitaxial growth of rare-earth superlattices by magnetron sputtering (in contrast to the traditional molecular-beam technology), including selected single-crystal substrates and buffer layers, as well as the temperature and growth rate, have been considered. Structural peculiarities and their effect on the magnetic properties of the superlattices that comprise ten or more Dy monolayers, have been analyzed.