0000000000056206
AUTHOR
M. Kolbe
Monitoring surface resonances on Co2MnSi(100) by spin-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy
The magnitude of the spin polarization at the Fermi level of ferromagnetic materials at room temperature is a key property for spintronics. Investigating the Heusler compound Co$_2$MnSi a value of 93$\%$ for the spin polarization has been observed at room temperature, where the high spin polarization is related to a stable surface resonance in the majority band extending deep into the bulk. In particular, we identified in our spectroscopical analysis that this surface resonance is embedded in the bulk continuum with a strong coupling to the majority bulk states. The resonance behaves very bulk-like, as it extends over the first six atomic layers of the corresponding (001)-surface. Our study…
Direct observation of half-metallicity in the Heusler compound $Co_{2}MnSi$
Ferromagnetic thin films of Heusler compounds are highly relevant for spintronic applications owing to their predicted half-metallicity, that is, 100% spin polarization at the Fermi energy. However, experimental evidence for this property is scarce. Here we investigate epitaxial thin films of the compound Co2MnSi in situ by ultraviolet-photoemission spectroscopy, taking advantage of a novel multi-channel spin filter. By this surface sensitive method, an exceptionally large spin polarization of () % at room temperature is observed directly. As a more bulk sensitive method, additional ex situ spin-integrated high energy X-ray photoemission spectroscopy experiments are performed. All experimen…
Imaging spin filter for electrons based on specular reflection from iridium (001)
Abstract As Stern–Gerlach type spin filters do not work with electrons, spin analysis of electron beams is accomplished by spin-dependent scattering processes based on spin–orbit or exchange interaction. Existing polarimeters are single-channel devices characterized by an inherently low figure of merit (FoM) of typically 10 −4 –10 −3 . This single-channel approach is not compatible with parallel imaging microscopes and also not with modern electron spectrometers that acquire a certain energy and angular interval simultaneously. We present a novel type of polarimeter that can transport a full image by making use of k -parallel conservation in low-energy electron diffraction. We studied specul…
Highly efficient multichannel spin-polarization detection.
Since the original work by Mott, the low efficiency of electron spin polarimeters, remaining orders of magnitude behind optical polarimeters, has prohibited many fundamental experiments. Here we report a solution to this problem using a novel concept of multichannel spin-polarization analysis that provides a stunning increase in efficiency by 4 orders of magnitude. This improvement was demonstrated in a setup using a hemispherical electron energy analyzer. An imaging setup proved the principal capability of resolving more than ${10}^{5}$ data points in parallel.
Test of band structure calculations for Heusler compounds by spin-resolved photoemission spectroscopy
The electronic density of states of epitaxial thin films of the Heusler compound Co${}_{2}$MnGa is probed in situ by spin-resolved ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy. The experiments reveal several characteristic features in the intensity spectrum and a clear Fermi edge signature. A high spin polarization of $\ensuremath{\simeq}\phantom{\rule{-0.16em}{0ex}}55%$ at the Fermi edge is followed by a sign change at the binding energy of $\ensuremath{\simeq}$0.8 eV. Corresponding calculations of the band structure and the photoemission spectrum were performed employing a spin-polarized relativistic Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker code. Good agreement between the experimental data and calculations was …