Rashba splitting of the Tamm surface state on Re(0001) observed by spin-resolved photoemission and scanning tunneling spectroscopy

Physical review research 2(1), 013296 (2020). doi:10.1103/PhysRevResearch.2.013296

Element-specific magnetic properties of mixed 3d−4f metallacrowns

Single molecule magnets comprising rare earth metals are of high interest due to the unquenched orbital moments of the rare earth ions that result in a large energy barrier for magnetization reversal. We investigate the magnetic properties of polynuclear $3d\text{\ensuremath{-}}4f15$-MC-5 metallacrowns using x-ray magnetic circular dichroism of powder samples at a temperature of 7 K in a magnetic field of 7 T. The sum rule analysis reveals element-specific spin and orbital moments. The magnetic moments of the $3d$ transition metal Ni(II) ions are coupled antiferromagnetically to each other and contribute only little to the total molecular moment. The spin and orbital moments of the rare ear…

Solvent-induced high-spin transition in double-decker 3d–4f metallacrowns

Element-specific magnetic spin and orbital magnetic moments of $3d\text{\ensuremath{-}}4f$ double-decker metallacrown molecules have been investigated using x-ray magnetic circular dichroism. The double-decker metallacrowns comprise one rare-earth Gd(III) or Tb(III) ion embedded between two squared scaffolds of four Ni(II) ions. We observe a strong increase of the Ni(II) moments if the molecules are dissolved in methanol, indicating a spin crossover from a low-spin to a high-spin state. In contrast, dichloromethane does not change the spin state. This result is explained by a change of the coordination environment of nickel. The comparison of charge-transfer multiplet calculations with the …

Tuning the Pseudospin Polarization of Graphene by a Pseudomagnetic Field.

One of the intriguing characteristics of honeycomb lattices is the appearance of a pseudo-magnetic field as a result of mechanical deformation. In the case of graphene, the Landau quantization resulting from this pseudo-magnetic field has been measured using scanning tunneling microscopy. Here we show that a signature of the pseudo-magnetic field is a local sublattice symmetry breaking observable as a redistribution of the local density of states. This can be interpreted as a polarization of graphene's pseudospin due to a strain induced pseudo-magnetic field, in analogy to the alignment of a real spin in a magnetic field. We reveal this sublattice symmetry breaking by tunably straining grap…

Quasiparticle interference of spin momentum locked surface states at step edges on Re(0001)

Quasiparticle interference patterns formed by a surface state on the Re(0001) surface were investigated using scanning tunneling spectroscopy. The energy dispersion is inferred from Fourier-transformed differential conductivity maps for occupied and unoccupied states. The band dispersion for occupied states agrees with earlier published results obtained by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. An analysis of the phase of interference patterns at step edges reveals a drastic change in the effective energy barrier for backscattering above and below the Fermi level. The attenuation of the interference pattern with increasing distance indicates interband scattering is the dominant scatteri…

Investigation of Many‐Body Effects in the Quasi‐Two‐Dimensional Electronic System of Organic Charge‐Transfer Salts

Tip-induced mobilization upon cooling of Ni monolayers on Re(0001)

Usually, cooling a metal sample down to cryogenic temperatures leads to immobilization of the surface atoms. In this study, we demonstrate a movement of Ni adatoms at $4.6\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$ on Ni films grown on a Re(0001) single crystal, while the surface is rigid at room temperature. The mobility is observed from 2 to 20 atomic-layer-thick films. Measurements at intermediate temperatures reveal an increasing mobility with decreasing temperature. The observed velocity of advancing steps is consistent with a model considering a sudden release of material, eventually triggered by the tip, followed by free diffusion. According to the model, an increasing length scale for t…