The Modified Magnetic Properties of $Mn_3Ga$ Ferrimagnet by Stabilizing on GaSb (001)

We report on the epitaxial growth of tetragonal $DO_{22}$-type Mn3Ga films on GaSb (001) using molecular beam epitaxy and the related structural and magnetic properties. The as-studied $Mn_3Ga$ film was found to exhibit relatively small coercivity around 400 Oe, which differs greatly from the hard magnetic properties of $Mn_3Ga$ bulk specimen or films that are normally reported. This difference was probably attributed to the effects of the GaSb (001) substrate that forced the $Mn_3Ga$ film to be two-dimensionlly stabilized in the (114) orientation and thus led to the modified intrinsic properties of $Mn_3Ga$ films. The growth orientation of the Mn3Ga (114)//GaSb (001) also caused the easy magnetocrystalline direction located in the film plane due to the dominant shape anisotropy in the thin films.