Synthesis and physical properties of epitaxial Mn₃Sn thin films.

The large Anomalous Hall Effect (AHE) and electrical switching capabilities of Mn₃Sn thin films at room temperature provides opportunities for a variety of technological applications. The current understanding of the static magnetic structure and domain switching in these thin films is inferred from transport measurements and neutron diffraction from single crystals. To gain further insight into the physical properties of Mn₃Sn in a device like format, we have grown and characterized epitaxial Mn₃Sn thin films with thicknesses up to 100 nm and performed X-ray diffraction and AHE measurements to probe the structural and electronic properties. We describe optimization of the film growth process and the dependence of the electronic structure on film thickness. We achieve high crystalline quality films with sample volumes that enable future neutron diffraction experiments.