Directional short range order in L10 FeMnPt magnetic thin films

Abstract

A method for investigating the directional short range order (DSRO) of an element of interest in L10 FeMnPt thin films using polarization-dependent x-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy is described. The XANES calculations for both L10 FePt and L1 0 MnPt phases indicate that the height of the low-energy shoulder of the polarization-dependent XANES is proportional to the degree of DSRO of the element of interest in the case of L10 FePt and MnPt systems. The experimentally observed DSROs of Fe and Mn in L10 FeMnPt magnetic thin films are consistent with a decrease of ordering parameter with increasing Mn doping. We demonstrate theoretically and experimentally that the heights of the low-energy shoulder in the FeK- and MnK-edge polarization-dependent XANES are proportional to the DSROs of Fe and Mn, respectively. © 2011 American Physical Society.