Magnetic and electronic properties of epitaxial gamma-cerium thin films

Epitaxial Ce (1 1 1) thin films have been grown under UHV conditions on a W (1 1 0) buffer. X-ray diffraction studies at low temperature and the absenc e of transition deduced from the different physical measurements show that in all films (thickness from 60 to 300 Angstrom). the Ce gamma-phase is sta bilised by the epitaxy down to low temperatures. XAS and XMCD revealed that Ce in these films exhibit localised 4f(1) character and is paramagnetic do wn to the lowest temperature in the present study. (C) 1999 Elsevier Scienc e B.V. All rights reserved.