X-Ray Magnetic Linear Dichroism Study Of Field-Manipulated Canted Antiferromagnetism In Epitaxial Alpha-Fe2o3 Films

This paper describes manipulation of the antiferromagnetic (AFM) moment by external magnetic field in thin epitaxial nanofilms of alpha-Fe2O3-the iron oxide polymorph known for its canted antiferromagnetism above the Morin temperature. The field-driven rotation of the AFM moment has been detected in thin alpha-Fe2O3/GaN layers by monitoring the azimuthal field dependence of the x-ray magnetic linear dichroism line shape at L-23 absorption edge of iron. The presence of the tiny canted ferrimagnetic (FM) moment in alpha-Fe2O3 makes it possible to manipulate the related AFM moment by applying external magnetic field, monitoring the field-driven rotation of both AFM and FM moments that otherwise can be hardly detected in a nanoscale film by conventional magnetometry. A controllable manipulation of the AFM moment in a thin film by external magnetic field is supposed to be an important keystone for development of the emerging field of AFM spintronics.