Magnetoelasticity of single-crystal (110) SmFe2 thin-film

Abstract The magnetoelastic behaviour of a 5000 A thick single-crystal (1 1 0) SmFe2 thin-film has been investigated by performing MEL stress measurements between 10 and 290 K, and up to 12 T as the maximum applied magnetic field. Thus, the direct measurement of the [1 1 1] rhombohedral stress, b2, is possible by applying magnetic field along the in-plane direction and measuring the resulting stress longitudinal and transversely to the applied magnetic field (H||[1 1 1]) . The b2 coefficient is positive and its values are of the same order of magnitude as those in the bulk, for the entire range of studied temperatures. The thermal dependence of b2 magnetoelastic stress can be ascribed to the distortion of the crystal-electric-field around Sm+3. The effect of the internal strain on the b2 magnetoelastic stress parameter will be interpreted as a second-order contribution to the magnetoelastic stress coefficient in the total magnetoelastic energy of the thin film.