MAGNETIZATION BEHAVIOR OF THICK EPITAXIAL GD(0001) FILMS ON W(110)

The temperature-dependent magnetic properties of thick Gd(0001)/W(110) films were investigated with respect to the annealing temperature as well as the film thickness (d = 10-100 nm). After annealing to suffici ently high temperatures, thick films (d greater-than-or-equal-to 40 nm ) show evidence for a canted magnetization, accompanied by a strong an omaly of the coercive field just below the Curie temperature T(C). The se effects can be attributed to the temperature-dependent magnetic ani sotropy of bulk Gd. For thinner films, the magnetization behavior impl ies the existence of residual strain, which cannot be fully annealed b y thermal treatment. The implications of our experimental results for surface magnetic order are discussed.