%0 Journal Article
%A Martínez-Boubeta, C.
%A Beltrán Fínez, Juan Ignacio
%A Balcells, Ll.
%A Konstantinović, Z.
%A Valencia, S.
%A Schmitz, D.
%A Arbiol, J.
%A Estrade, S.
%A Cornil, J.
%A Martínez, B.
%T Ferromagnetism in transparent thin films of MgO
%D 2010
%@ 1098-0121
%U https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/44684
%X We show both theoretical and experimental evidences of the appearance of ferromagnetism in MgO thin films. First principles calculations allow predicting the possibility of the formation of a local moment in MgO, provided the existence of Mg vacancies which create holes on acceptor levels near the O 2p-dominated valence band. Magnetic measurements evidence of the existence of room-temperature ferromagnetism in MgO thin films. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy demonstrates the existence of cation vacancies in our samples. Finally, by applying the element specificity of the x-ray magnetic circular dichroism technique, we also demonstrate that the magnetic moments of the system arise from the spin polarization of the 2p electrons of oxygen atoms surrounding Mg vacancies.
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