Tetragonal Mn
3Ga thin films were epitaxially grown with and without
strain on Cr and Mo
crystalline buffer layers, respectively, using rf-magnetron sputtering.
Epilayers grown on Cr with a
lattice mismatch of 4.16%, exhibit a high magnetization of 220 kAm
−1 and high perpendicular magnetic
anisotropy. These characteristics are attributed to interfacial strain. Additionally, a soft ferromagnetic component is observed in these films but not in relaxed layers grown on Mo, where Δ
a/
a is −0.1%. These latest films exhibit a low magnetization of 80 kAm
−1 and both perpendicular and in-plane magnetic anisotropies. We propose that high spin orbit coupling of Mo-5
s14
d5 orbitals from the buffer layer and strong hybridization with Mn
3+-3
d4 orbitals from the magnetic layer are at the origin of in-plane anisotropy at the interface, while Mn
3Ga magnetocrystalline anisotropy leads to perpendicular anisotropy on the rest of the film.