Visualization of ferromagnetic domains in TbNi2B2C and ErNi2B2C single crystals: Weak ferromagnetism and its coexistence with superconductivity
Abstract
The magnetic flux structure in the basal plane, (001), of single crystals of superconducting (R = Er) and non-superconducting (R = Tb) RNi2B2C was studied by high resolution Bitter decoration at temperatures below Tc (superconducting transition) and/or TN (antiferromagnetic transition). For both materials two sets of domain boundaries, in \110\ and \100\ planes, were observed. The temperature ranges in which the \100\ domain boundaries were observed in TbNi2B2C and ErNi2B2C coincide with the weak ferromagnetic (WFM) ordering in these materials. On the other hand, the \110\ twin boundaries - the antiferromagnetic domain boundaries - were observed in both compounds below TN. The possibility of interpretation of \100\ boundaries as Bloch domain walls in the weakly ferromagnetic phase, for T < TWFM < TN (TbNi2B2C) or T < TWFM < TN < Tc (ErNi2B2C) is discussed.
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