Abstract
The A1-L1 0 phase transformation has been investigated in (001) FeCuPt thin films prepared by atomic-scale multilayer sputtering and rapid thermal annealing (RTA). Traditional x-ray diffraction is not always applicable in generating a true order parameter, due to non-ideal crystallinity of the A1 phase. Using the first-order reversal curve (FORC) method, the A1 and L1 0 phases are deconvoluted into two distinct features in the FORC distribution, whose relative intensities change with the RTA temperature. The L1 0 ordering takes place via a nucleation-and-growth mode. A magnetization-based phase fraction is extracted, providing a quantitative measure of the L1 0 phase homogeneity. © 2014 Author(s).