Growth and Characterisation of Antiferromagnetic Ni₂MnAl Heusler Alloy Films

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

The manuscript of Huminiuc at al reports the structural and magnetic properties of the series of thin films based on antiferromagnetic Ni2MnAl Heulser alloy. Authors investigated the influence of annealing and doping of the obtained films by aluminum, iron and cobalt on the crystallinity and observed magnetic properties. The experimental data and their interpretations are solid. This paper presents a nice example of research in the field of antiferromagnetic spintronics and should present an interest for the readership of Magnetochemistry.

I recommend an acceptance of this paper. The necessary correction is to remove one instance the second paragraph of the paper (it is present twice). Authors should also mention somewhere the method that was used for growing bilayer films for exchange bias measurements: was it also the plasma sputtering?

Author Response

Please see our response as attached.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Dear authors,

Thank you for your research work on the new spintronic materials. The manuscript shows a comprehensive study of the AFM NiMnAl alloy films with Fe or Co dopants. There are a few questions need to be addressed. 

1. In the authors part, after Dr. Atsufumi Hirohata, there is a superscript 3. However, there is no description of 3 down below. Please double check the author information and make sure the superscript is correct.
2. In Figure 2, it seems that after anneal for 120min, the XRD peak appears at about 45 deg while if the anneal time increases to 150min, the peak changes back to about 44deg, which is quite similar with other peaks (green, blue, red). What is the reason for the changing of the peak position with the change of anneal time, especially for 120min and 150min?
3. Figure 3, 5 and 7 are confusing. According to line 114: “There is no crystallization observed in any of the samples post annealed at a temperature below 700C”. What is the standard for the crystallization? For example, if the Q factor larger than a certain value it will be classified as crystallization? It is hard to tell from the color change in Figure 3, 5 and 7.
4. Line 135 to 136 says “By maintaining the sharp interface….an exchange bias can be measured at 100K or above”. Any study or figure to show this measurement in this manuscript? Or it has been studied elsewhere?
5. Section 3.3, is there any data or plot to show no crystallization appears after introduction of Fe atoms? Any XRD measurement or magnetization measurement?
6. In the Summary part, what is the recommended method to improve the NiMnAl alloy? Is it possible to dope Fe and Co together to improve the magnetization and reduce the crystallization temperature?
7. In the Funding part, line 234, “ This work is partially support by” has appeared twice. Please read the manuscript thoroughly and correct any errors like this.

Thank you!

Your Sincerely 

Author Response

Please see our response as attached.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

Dear Authors,

Thank you for your reply to the previous comments. The revised manuscript and the response letter are clear. 

Yours Sincerely