Magnetic x-ray spectroscopy of Gd-doped EuO thin films

Journal article

We present a detailed x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) study of the magnetic properties of Gd-doped EuO thin films, synthesized via molecular-beam epitaxy with Gd doping levels up to over 12%. The impact of Gd doping on the electronic and magnetic behavior of EuO is studied using XMCD and magnetometry. Gd doping significantly enhances the Curie temperature (𝑇C) from 69 K in undoped EuO to over 120 K, driven by increased carrier density, while preserving the high quality of the single-crystalline films. At higher doping levels, a plateau in 𝑇C is observed, which is attributed to the formation of Eu-Gd nearest-neighbor pairs that limit dopant activation. We also observe a distinctive “double-dome” structure in the temperature-dependent magnetization, which we attribute to both the ferromagnetic ordering of Eu 4⁢𝑓 moments at lower temperatures and the influence of conduction electrons via 4⁢𝑓−5⁢𝑑 exchange interactions at higher temperatures. These findings provide key insights into the mechanisms of carrier-induced magnetic transitions.

Authors: Ethan, A; Riley, JM; Duffy, LB; Figueroa, AI; Held, R

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: American Physical Society
• Journal: Physical Review Materials
• Volume: 9
• Issue: 2
• Article number: 024410
• Publication date: 2025-02-24
• Acceptance date: 2025-02-03
• DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevMaterials.9.024410
• EISSN: 2475-9953
• Language: English