Highly ordered FEPT and FePd magnetic nano-structures: Correlated structural and magnetic studies

The micro-structure of epitaxial FePt and FePd films grown on MgO (0 0 1) substrates is correlated to their magnetic behavior. The FePd films exhibit high chemical ordering and perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. On the other hand FePt films exhibit low chemical ordering, with nano-grains oriented in two orthogonal directions, forcing the magnetization to remain in the plane of the films.