{
  "abstract": "Thermal processing of nickel (Ni) layers on germanium-tin (GeSn) can strongly modify the Ni film and the Ni/GeSn interface within a restricted thermal budget; however, the influence of GeSn crystalline quality on Ni-Ge-Sn interfacial evolution and the magnetic response of the Ni layer remains incompletely understood. Here, Ni (15~nm)/Ge$_{1-x}$Sn$_x$/Ge/Gd$_2$O$_3$/Si(111) heterostructures ($x = 0.08$ and $0.10$) were investigated following rapid thermal annealing at 573 and 973~K for 10~s using X-ray diffraction, pole-figure analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth profiling, and temperature- and field-dependent magnetization measurements. Annealing at 573~K preserves the crystallographic texture of Ge$_{0.92}$Sn$_{0.08}$, whereas Ge$_{0.90}$Sn$_{0.10}$ exhibits microtwin formation and reduced structural integrity. Annealing at 973~K, employed as a severe upper-bound thermal reference, causes extensive structural degradation in both heterostructures, with substantially greater deterioration in the higher-Sn sample. XPS depth profiling reveals progressive Ni-Ge-Sn intermixing accompanied by pronounced Sn surface segregation with increasing annealing temperature. Magnetization measurements show coexisting ferromagnetic and superparamagnetic contributions in the as-deposited and 573~K samples, whereas annealing at 973~K strongly suppresses the ferromagnetic response, producing highly unsaturated $M(H)$ loops together with reduced saturation magnetization and coercivity. These magnetic changes are consistent with extensive interfacial alloying and dilution of the metallic Ni layer. This study establishes a direct correlation between GeSn crystalline quality, interfacial diffusion, and magnetic behavior.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": "Journal reference: J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 59, 445003 (2026)",
  "arxiv": "2610.35273",
  "author_total": 7,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Tharundev V V"
    },
    {
      "name": "Dushyant Singh"
    },
    {
      "name": "Subha Maity"
    },
    {
      "name": "Vigneshwari S R"
    },
    {
      "name": "Dhammapriy Gayakwad"
    },
    {
      "name": "Shivesh Yadav"
    },
    {
      "name": "Krista R Khiangte"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4tqsfrnzsz6yp.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.48550/arxiv.2610.35273",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "4tqsfrnzsz6yp",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.35273",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": "CC0-1.0",
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "arxiv",
      "cond-mat.mes-hall"
    ],
    [
      "arxiv",
      "cond-mat.mtrl-sci"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "3107|Magnetic properties of thin films"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7223899000",
  "pdf_url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/2610.35273",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-26",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4tqsfrnzsz6yp.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:35:35Z",
      "native_id": "2610.35273",
      "source": "arxiv",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.35273"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:cond-mat.mes-hall",
      "subfield": "condensed-matter"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Investigation of the Microstructural and Magnetic Properties of Ni on GeSn Layers",
  "title_text": "Investigation of the Microstructural and Magnetic Properties of Ni on GeSn Layers",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-09T00:20:38Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4tqsfrnzsz6yp",
  "venue": "arXiv",
  "versions": [
    {
      "doi": "10.1088/1361-6463/aeb9ed",
      "pid": null,
      "relation": "published-as",
      "title": null,
      "venue": null
    }
  ]
}