Magnetic and magneto-optical properties of NiMnSb thin films

We have developed a simple method to deposit crystalline NiMnSb films from a single-composite target using low-power magnetron sputtering. In this process, the substrate temperature is kept as low as 250°C while retaining bulk-like structural and magnetic properties. Magneto-optical Kerr rotation spectra, closely related to the electronic band structure, are found to be identical over the entire energy range to those previously published for high-quality bulk alloys. This suggests that the half-metallic behavior predicted for the bulk alloys will also be found in the present films. © 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.