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Growth and Kerr magnetometry of Mn2Au on a gold-capped Nb(001) substrate

Jendrik Gördes1, Christian Janzen2, Arne J. Vereijken2, Tingwei Li (李婷炜)1, Tauqir Shinwari1,*, Arno Ehresmann2, and Wolfgang Kuch1,†

  • 1Institut für Experimentalphysik, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, 14195 Berlin, Germany
  • 2Institute of Physics and Center for Interdisciplinary Nanostructure Science and Technology (CINSaT), University of Kassel, Heinrich-Plett-Straße 40, 34132 Kassel, Germany

  • *Present address: Paul-Drude-Institut für Festkörperelektronik, Leibniz-Institut im Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V., 10117 Berlin, Germany.
  • †Contact author: kuch@physik.fu-berlin.de
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Phys. Rev. B 114, 144416 – Published 15 September, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/kkn6-t2jq

Abstract

We report on the epitaxial growth of antiferromagnetic Mn2Au on a Nb(001) substrate capped with a pseudomorphic layer of gold. We observe a layer-by-layer growth by means of medium-energy electron diffraction and confirm stoichiometry and surface structure by Auger electron spectroscopy and low-energy electron diffraction. Evaporation of 15 ML of ferromagnetic Fe on 12–17 ML of Mn2Au results in an exchange-coupled bilayer system with an exchange-bias shift that can be set by field-cooling from 400 K. Areas with and without exchange bias, with domain sizes in the range of tens of µm, are identified by Kerr microscopy. Postannealing the sample at or above 450 K after Mn2Au layer growth decreases the fraction of areas where Fe magnetically couples to Mn2Au. We suggest that exchange coupling to an interfacial Fe layer depends on the interface termination of Mn2Au or on the chemical order in the Mn2Au layer. Our findings provide insight into the growth process of Mn2Au and the coupling to an Fe layer. Our results point out the importance of growth, interface quality, and termination for the magnetic properties of a Mn2Au/Fe bilayer, which may help to improve material properties for spintronic applications.

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Phys. Rev. B 114, 144416– Published 15 September, 2026
  • Received 31 March 2026
  • Accepted 20 August 2026
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