Structure and magnetic properties of ultra thin textured EuO films on graphene

Abstract

We present a straightforward and reproducible method to grow stoichiometric and single phase (100) textured EuO thin films on epitaxial graphene. Depending on coverage, either separated EuO grains or fully closed layers can be prepared. Room temperature preparation followed by annealing in Eu vapor leads to a random distribution of the in-plane orientation, whereas growth under distillation conditions at 720 K induces a fixed orientation with respect to the substrate. Magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) shows that the films are ferromagnetic with an enhanced Curie temperature.