Ferromagnetic resonance evidence of spinodal decomposition of Nix Cu1 − x (0.5 < x < 1) alloy films

Films of diluted ferromagnetic (FM) Nix Cu1 − x alloys with 0.5 < x < 1 of about 80 nm in thickness were deposited at room temperature on glass-ceramic substrates using electron-beam co-deposition from Cu and Ni sources. The temperature dependence of the ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) spectra was investigated in the 140 < T < 500 K temperature range. The FMR spectra for films of composition 0.75 ≤ x ≤ 0.89 show two absorption peaks, which can be ascribed to a formation of two different FM phases as a result of phase separation in the alloy. The observed unusual temperature dependence of the resonance magnetic fields is interpreted as potentially magnetostrictive in nature. The results are discussed and compared to those for similar Ni-Cu films obtained using magnetron sputtering.