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Structural and magnetic properties of epitaxial Mn3Ga thin films

Quanzheng Tao1,2, Andrejs Petruhins2, Rui Shu2, Alexis Papamichail2, Iurii Kibalin3, Bachir Ouladdiaf3, Fabio Orlandi4, Dmitry Khalyavin4, Pascal Manuel4 et al.

Vanya Darakchieva2,5, Johanna Rosen2, and Andrew T. Boothroyd1

  • 1Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Clarendon Laboratory, Oxford OX1 3PU, United Kingdom
  • 2Department of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (IFM), Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
  • 3Institut Laue-Langevin, 71 avenue des Martyrs, CS 20156, 38042 Grenoble cedex 9, France
  • 4ISIS Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
  • 5Terahertz Materials Analysis Center, THeMAC, Solid State Physics and NanoLund, Lund University, S-22100 Lund, Sweden

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Phys. Rev. Materials 10, 074404 – Published 9 July, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/vkgw-nfbs

Abstract

We report on the synthesis and characterization of Mn3Ga thin films with controlled phase and orientation using DC magnetron sputtering. High-quality Mn-deficient hexagonal Mn3Ga films with C-plane and M-plane orientations were achieved on various single-crystal substrates, and their structural properties were systematically investigated by x-ray diffraction. Magnetization, Hall effect, and neutron diffraction measurements confirm the formation of antiferromagnetic order below TN=460–470 K and reveal its characteristic magnetic behavior. A sizable anomalous Hall effect is observed coexistent with weak net magnetization, consistent with the 120° noncollinear spin structure. The ability to tune both the crystal phase (hexagonal vs tetragonal) and orientation through composition and thermal treatment provides a platform for exploring the intrinsic magnetic and topological properties of Mn3Ga, with promising implications for antiferromagnetic spintronic applications.

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Phys. Rev. Materials 10, 074404– Published 9 July, 2026
  • Received 25 September 2025
  • Revised 11 February 2026
  • Accepted 9 June 2026
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