Magnetization of epitaxial MnGe alloys on Ge(111) substrates

The structural and magnetic properties of an Mn rich solid phase epitaxy MnxGe1-x alloy grown on a clean 2 x 8-Ge(111) surface, with a Curie temperature of about 300 K are investigated. Magneto-optical Kerr effect infers the existence of in-plane easy magnetization direction. We describe the epitaxial registry condition, the room temperature-zero field magnetic structure observed by magnetic force microscopy and the magneto-optical properties. The observations are consistent with the formation of epitaxial Mn5Ge3 alloy, with a modulated magnetic structure characterized by asymmetric 180degrees Bloch walls consisting of a vortex-like configuration of the local magnetization. (C) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.