Magnetic structure of spin-density waves in Cr(001)/Sn multilayers with periodic monatomic spacer layers of nonmagnetic Sn

Takeda, Masayasu; Mibu, Ko*; Shinjo, Teruya*; Endo, Yasuo*; Suzuki, Junichi

Physical Review B, 70(10), p.104408_1 - 104408_9, 2004/09

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.70.104408

Detailed magnetic structure of spin-density waves (SDWs) in epitaxial Cr(001)/Sn multilayer was investigated by neutron scattering combined with Mssbauer spectroscopic studies. Monatomic Sn layers were embedded in 240 nm thick Cr(001) films with varying the periodic spacing from 4.2 to 16.2 nm. All samples were revealed to be a commensurate antiferromagnetic (CAF) phase at 300 K. The CAF structures changed to incommensurate SDW states with complex waveforms whose wavelength are controlled by the artificial periodicity at low temperatures although the CAF structure in the sample with the period of 4.2 nm persisted even at 10 K. The phase transition depends on the thickness of the Cr layers intervening between Sn monatomic layers. An appreciable phase slip in the SDW was observed during the phase transition in the sample with the period of 10.2 nm. The SDW structure is discussed by taking account of the competing forces between the nesting of Fermi surface and a pinning of antinodes at the Sn monatomic layers.