Magnetic properties of ultrathin epitaxial Fe3O4 films on Pt(111)

Abstract The magnetic properties of ultrathin Fe 3 O 4 (1 1 1) films grown epitaxially on Pt(1 1 1) have been studied by X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) and conversion electron Mossbauer spectroscopy (CEMS). Both the XMCD and CEMS spectra exhibit features characteristic of Fe 3 O 4 . In addition, a paramagnetic contribution, which is interpreted as originating from the interface layer, is observed in the Mossbauer spectrum. Furthermore, the CEMS data indicate that all the magnetic moments lie in the plane of the film. The relative occupancies of tetrahedral and octahedral sites in the lattice derived from the two techniques are compared and yield a higher value for the tetrahedral site from the CEMS data, probably because it was recorded from a thinner film.