Magnetic order in thin films of the heavy fermion superconductor UNi<Subscript>2</Subscript>Al<Subscript>3</Subscript>

Resonant magnetic X-ray scattering was employed to investigate the magnetic state of epitaxial a<Superscript>*</Superscript> oriented thin films of the heavy fermion superconductor UNi<Subscript>2</Subscript>Al<Subscript>3</Subscript>. The observed incommensurate propagation vector as well as the Ne<InlineEquation ID="Equ1"> <EquationSource Format="TEX">$\acute{\rm e}$</EquationSource> </InlineEquation>l temperature correspond to those of bulk samples. The 1200 <InlineEquation ID="Equ2"> <EquationSource Format="TEX">${\rm \AA}$</EquationSource> </InlineEquation> film shows magnetic order with a correlation length >800 Å parallel to the growth axis. Out of the three possible magnetic domains the one with the moment direction perpendicular to the film surface is not realized. Copyright EDP Sciences/Società Italiana di Fisica/Springer-Verlag 2005