title: Magnetic Phases of Sputter Deposited Thin-Film Erbium.
abstract: We present a detailed structural and magnetic characterization of sputter deposited thin film erbium, determined by x-ray diffraction, transport measurements, magnetometry and neutron diffraction. This provides information on the onset and change of the magnetic state as a function of temperature and applied magnetic field. Many of the features of bulk material are reproduced. Also of interest is the identification of a conical magnetic state which repeats with a wavevector parallel to the c axis τc= 4/17 in units of the reciprocal lattice parameter c*, which is a state not observed in any other thin film or bulk measurements. The data from the various techniques are combined to construct magnetic field, temperature (H, T)-phase diagrams for the 200 nm-thick Er sample that serves as a foundation for future exploitation of this complex magnetic thin film system.
authors.affiliation: School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom.|Laboratory for Mesoscopic Systems, Department of Materials, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.|Laboratory for Micro- and Nanotechnology, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland.
authors.forename: J D S
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Witt
authors.affiliation: ISIS, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, STFC, Oxon OX11 0QX, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: J F K
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.affiliation: School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom.|ISIS, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, STFC, Oxon OX11 0QX, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Satchell
authors.affiliation: ISIS, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, STFC, Oxon OX11 0QX, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Kinane
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Curran
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Bending
authors.affiliation: ISIS, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, STFC, Oxon OX11 0QX, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Langridge
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Mesoscopic Systems, Department of Materials, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.|Laboratory for Micro- and Nanotechnology, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland.
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Heyderman
authors.affiliation: School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Burnell