[en] The preparation of 3d-transition metal-doped EuO thin films by molecular beam epitaxy is investigated using the example of Sc doping. The Sc-doped EuO samples display a good crystalline structure, despite the relatively small ionic radius of the dopant. The Sc doping leads to an enhancement of the Curie temperature to up to 125 K, remarkably similar to previous observations on lanthanide-doped EuO

[en] Growth and magnetic characterization of thin films of Co₂Cr_0.6Fe_0.4Al and Co₂MnSi full-Heusler compounds are investigated. Thin films were deposited by magnetron sputtering at room temperature directly onto oxidized Si wafers. These Heusler films are magnetically very soft and ferromagnetic with Curie temperatures well above room temperature. Polycrystalline Co₂Cr_0.6Fe_0.4Al Heusler films combined with MgO barriers and CoFe counter electrodes are structured to magnetic tunnel junctions and yield almost 50% magnetoresistance at room temperature. The magnetoresistance shows a strong bias dependence with the maximum occurring at a voltage drop well above 1 V. This special feature is accompanied by only a moderate temperature dependence of the tunnel magnetoresistance

[en] We report on our study on the influence of the growth conditions on the europium/oxygen stoichiometry, morphology, magnetic properties, and electrical conductivity of EuO thin films. SQUID magnetometry and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were utilized as complementary techniques to determine the oxygen content of EuO_1±x thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy with and without the employment of the so-called Eu distillation process. We found indications for phase separation to occur in Eu-rich as well as in over-oxidized EuO for films grown at substrate temperatures below the Eu distillation temperature. Only a fraction of the excess Eu contributes to the metal-insulator transition in Eu-rich films grown under these conditions. We also observed that the surfaces of these films were ill defined and may even contain more Eu excess than the film average. Only EuO films grown under distillation conditions are guaranteed to have the same magnetic and electrical properties as stoichiometric bulk EuO, and to have surfaces with the proper Eu/O stoichiometry and electronic structure.