Epitaxial heusler alloy Co2FeSi/GaAs(001) hybrid structures -: art. no. 102506

We found that Co2FeSi layers on GaAs(001) grown by molecular-beam epitaxy with high crystal and interface perfection as well as smooth surfaces can be obtained in the low-growth-temperature regime. The layers are thermally robust up to 250 degrees C. They have long-range order and crystallize in the Heusler-type L2(1) structure. The easy axis of magnetization is along the [110] direction caused by a dominating uniaxial in-plane magnetic anisotropy component which has an easy axis different from that of the magnetocrystalline anisotropy component. (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics.