SmN and DyN: Effect of the nitrogen to rare earth flux ratio on the structural, transport, and magnetic properties
A. Shaib,
W. F. Holmes-Hewett,
J. Chan,
P. P. Murmu,
B. J. Ruck,
H. J. Trodahl,
F. Natali
Affiliations
A. Shaib
The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, P.O. Box 600, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
W. F. Holmes-Hewett
The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, P.O. Box 600, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
J. Chan
The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, P.O. Box 600, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
P. P. Murmu
The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, P.O. Box 600, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
B. J. Ruck
The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, P.O. Box 600, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
H. J. Trodahl
The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, P.O. Box 600, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
F. Natali
The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, P.O. Box 600, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
We report on the effect of the nitrogen to rare earth (N2/RE) flux ratio on the structural, transport, and magnetic properties of samarium nitride (SmN) and dysprosium nitride (DyN) thin films. Both materials display a reduced lattice constant when the N2/RE flux ratio decreases, i.e., with increased nitrogen vacancies (VN) concentration. The films show several orders of magnitude increase in the electrical resistivity with increased N2/RE flux ratio. Finally, magnetic measurements on DyN films display a deviation from the free ion moment at low temperature, which is eased in more conductive films. This was interpreted as a further reduction in the quenching of the orbital angular momentum caused by the increased VN concentration. The Curie temperature was also found to increase with VN.
