Solid-state synthesis, magnetic and structural properties of epitaxial D03-Fe3Rh(001) thin films

Here we first report on the formation of epitaxial D03-Fe3Rh(001) films grown during solid-state reaction in Rh/Fe(001) bilayers on MgO(001) substrates. Samples of the Fe68Rh32 composition above 400 °C showed the formation of a new ordered phase, in addition to the ordered B2–FeRh phase (space group Pm-3m, lattice constant a = 0.2993 nm), which becomes the dominant phase in Fe76Rh24 samples. These results and the results of the asymmetrical XRD φ-scan prove that the new ordered phase is the ordered D03-Fe3Rh(001) phase (space group Fm-3m, lattice constant a = 0.5888 nm), forming a cube-on-cube orientation relationship with respect to the MgO(001) substrate. The D03-Fe3Rh sample is a soft magnetic material with high saturation magnetization. [Display omitted] •Solid-state reaction between Fe and Rh nanolayers was investigated.•The epitaxially intergrown mixture of D03(001) + B2(001) phases is formed at the Rh/Fe(001) interface above 400 °C.•The lattice parameter and the magnetic properties of the D03-Fe3Rh phase were determined.•The modified Fe–Rh phase diagram was offered.