Structure and magnetic properties of Mn4N thin films synthesized by plasma-based ion implantation

Plasma-based ion implantation was used to synthesize the manganese nitride Mn4N by implanting nitrogen in manganese layers first deposited by sputtering assisted by multi-dipolar microwave plasma. The structural characterization of the layer has been performed using X-ray diffraction at grazing incidence and XPS. The magnetic properties have been measured using a SQUID susceptometer. In parallel, a FLAPW method has been used to calculate the theoretical magnetic state of Mn4N. The modeling results are compared with neutron diffraction and magnetization saturation measurements.