Magnetic state controllable critical temperature in epitaxial Ho/Nb bilayers

We study the magnetic properties of Ho thin films with different crystallinity (either epitaxial or non-epitaxial) and investigate their proximity effects with Nb thin films. Magnetic measurements show that epitaxial Ho has large anisotropy in two different crystal directions in contrast to non-epitaxial Ho. Transport measurements show that the superconducting transition temperature (T-c) of Nb thin films can be significantly suppressed at zero field by epitaxial Ho compared with non-epitaxial Ho. We also demonstrate a direct control over T-c by changing the magnetic states of the epitaxial Ho layer, and attribute the strong proximity effects to exchange interaction. (C) 2014 Author(s).