They are exploring the magnetic and structural behavior of rare earth superlattices and buried layers. These systems can now be grown with a, b or c axes perpendicular to the plane. They seek to understand the orientation-dependent epitaxial phase diagrams of the antiferromagnetic rare earths such as Dysprosium, Erbium, Holmium, Terbium, which depend strongly on magnetoeslastic strains in the presence of epitaxial "clamping". The way different types of spacer layers couple successive magnetic layers into superlattices with modified properties is also of central interest. These phenomena are pursued using novel materials synthesis, by magnetic and mechanical measurements, and by the techniques of light, x-ray and neutron scattering.
