Impact of ultrathin transition metal buffer layers on Fe3O4 thin films

3000 A Fe3O4 (magnetite) thin films were simultaneously grown on (001) MgO single crystal substrates with and without 30 A buffer layers of Fe, Cr, Mo, and Nb. For all samples, the Verwey transition temperature (TV) occurs between 119 and 125 K, indicating good oxygen stoichiometry. We observe highly oriented (001) Fe3O4 with Mo and no buffer layer, reduced (001) texture with Nb and Fe, and polycrystalline growth with Cr. Mo, Cr, and unbuffered magnetite show typical magnetic behavior, whereas Nb and Fe buffers lead to anomalous magnetic properties that may be due to interfacial reactivity.

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