Strain-induced magnetic anisotropies in Co films on Mo(110)

Spin-Polarized Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy of Ultrathin Films

Using low temperature spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy we have studied the morphology and magnetic properties of ultrathin Fe(0.5 ML)Au(0.5 ML) nanowires prepared on a Mo(110) single crystal. The Fe nanostripes grown by step flow on a Mo(110) at 700 K were covered by Au at RT, and subsequently annealed at 700 K. Differences in the morphology of Au on Fe(110)/Mo(110) and clean Mo(110) surfaces are observed and discussed. After annealing, the Mo is covered by a homogeneous FeAu ML alloy with several iron enriched islands which reveal an out-of-plane magnetic contrast. Direct lateral exchange coupling has been observed for these islands.

Temperature-driven spin reorientation transition inFe∕Mo(110)nanostructures

Using low-temperature spin polarized scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, we observed a temperature-driven spin-reorientation transition (SRT) in Fe double layer (DL) nanostructures grown by step-flow growth on Mo(110). Magnetization components along the vertical and horizontal directions were detected with $4∕16$ ML Co∕10 ML $\mathrm{Au}∕\mathrm{W}(110)$ tips with out-of-plane (4 ML Co) and in-plane (16 ML Co) magnetic sensitivities. The magnetic easy axis of the Fe DL nanostructures continuously rotates from the vertical direction at $5\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$ to an in-plane direction at $20\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$. The rotation angle is independent …

Magnetic Anisotropies and Coupling Mechanisms inFe/Mo(110)Nanostripes

Using low-temperature (5 K) spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy, we have studied the morphology and magnetic properties of monolayer (ML) and double layer (DL) thick Fe nanowires grown by step flow on a Mo(110) single crystal. Magnetic contrast has been obtained using tungsten tips covered by Au/Co thin films. We find that the DL Fe nanowires, similarly to ML Fe nanowires, are perpendicularly magnetized. Because of the dipolar coupling, separated DL Fe nanowires are antiferromagnetically coupled. DL wires that are touching at step edges are ferromagnetically ordered due to direct exchange coupling. We measured the widths of the magnetic domain walls in the ML and DL Fe nanowires. T…

Oxidation-driven changes of the in-plane magnetic surface anisotropies of the Fe(110)/Al interface

Abstract Thin epitaxial iron films grown on W(1 1 0) were covered by ultrathin epitaxial aluminium layers of varying thicknesses from 0.2 to 0.6 nm and subsequently naturally oxidized in situ with oxygen exposures up to 150 L. Correlations between the oxidation states of the Al covers and changes of the in-plane magnetic anisotropies at the Fe(1 1 0)/Al interface were discussed on the basis of results from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and longitudinal magneto-optical Kerr magnetometry measurements. The Al coverage decreases the second-order in-plane surface anisotropy of the Fe(1 1 0) surface. Whereas for the thinnest Al covers, the second-order in-plane magnetic surface anisotropy decr…

Spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy of ultrathinFe∕Mo(110)films usingW∕Au∕Cotips

We report on magnetic contrast observed in low-temperature spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy (SP-STM) of Fe nanowires deposited on Mo(110) using tungsten tips covered by $\mathrm{Au}∕\mathrm{Co}$ thin films. Due to the spin reorientation transition of Co films on Au an out-of-plane magnetic sensitivity is obtained for tips with thin cobalt films (up to 8 monolayers of Co), while for thicker Co coverages an in-plane magnetization component can be probed. Using $\mathrm{W}∕\mathrm{Au}∕\mathrm{Co}$ tips with out-of-plane magnetic sensitivity we show that the one (ML) and two (DL) atomic layers thick Fe nanowires prepared using step flow growth on a Mo(110) crystal are perpendicularl…