Abstract

Non-collinear spin ground states in metallic antiferromagnets can give rise to anomalous Hall effect, which enables magnetic state readout in antiferromagnetic spintronic devices. Here we report growth of highly textured films of a non-collinear antiferromagnet IrMn3 on MgO(111) substrates by magnetron sputtering. The films consist of epitaxial (111) twin domains rotated by 60 degrees within the film plane. The films exhibit partial L1(2) ordering that supports the non-collinear T1 spin structure predicted to give rise to anomalous Hall effect. An MgO buffer layer evaporated onto the substrate increases the L1(2) order parameter from 0.4 to 0.75 but destroys the (111) crystallographic texture.