Exchange bias effects in Heusler alloy Ni2MnAl/Fe bilayers

Ni2MnAl Heusler alloy thin films were epitaxially grown on MgO(1 0 0) single crystal substrates by ultra-high-vacuum magnetron sputtering technique. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy observation revealed that the structures of all the Ni2MnAl thin films were B2-ordered regardless of the deposition temperature ranging from room temperature to 600 °C. The temperature dependence of electrical resistivity showed a kink about 280 K, which was consistent with a reported value of the Néel temperature for antiferromagnetic B2-Ni2MnAl. The magnetization curves of Ni2MnAl/Fe bilayer samples showed a shift caused by the interfacial exchange interaction at 10 K. The maximum value of the exchange bias field Hex was 55 Oe corresponding to the exchange coupling energy Jk of 0.03 erg cm−2.