Utilizing Torque Magnetometry to Measure Thin Films of Frustrated Magnets*

Capacitive torque magnetometry was used to investigate the effects of strain on the magnetic properties of thin films of pyrochlore titanates. Films with thicknesses ranging from 35 to 200 nm have been measured as a function of temperature and applied field. Sample rotation allowed application of field along various crystallographic directions of the sample. Equivalent measurements on titanate single crystals have been performed to directly compare the effects of strain in a systematic manner. The responses found in the temperature range from 20 mK to 1 K have been compared with measurements done in a Quantum Design MPMS at 1.8 K. An explicit angular dependence has been observed in both thin films and single crystals, indicating the richness of the anisotropy within these systems. This experiment demonstrates the versatility in the usage of torque magnetometry as a method for probing magnetocrystalline anisotropy in strained thin films of frustrated magnetic systems.