Eur. Phys. J. B 48, 445-447 (2005)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2005-00421-y

Magnetic order in thin films of the heavy fermion superconductor UNi₂Al₃

¹ Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Staudingerweg 7, 55128 Mainz, Germany
² Institut Laue Langevin, B.P. 156, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
³ Rutherford Appelton Laboratory, ISIS facility, Chilton, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, UK
⁴ Dépt. de Recherche Fond. sur la Matière Condensée, CEA-Grenoble, 38054 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
⁵ XMaS UK CRG beamline, ESRF, B.P. 220, 38043 Grenoble Cedex 9, France

Corresponding author: ^a jourdan@uni-mainz.de

Received: 19 September 2005
Published online: 23 December 2005

Abstract

Resonant magnetic X-ray scattering was employed to investigate the magnetic state of epitaxial a^* oriented thin films of the heavy fermion superconductor UNi₂Al₃. The observed incommensurate propagation vector as well as the Neél temperature correspond to those of bulk samples. The 1200 Å film shows magnetic order with a correlation length >800 Å parallel to the growth axis. Out of the three possible magnetic domains the one with the moment direction perpendicular to the film surface is not realized.