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Spin‐polarized scanning tunneling microscopy: Insight into magnetism from nanostructures to atomic scale spin structures
Author(s) -
von Bergmann K.,
Bode M.,
Kubetzka A.,
Pietzsch O.,
Wiesendanger R.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
microscopy research and technique
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.536
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1097-0029
pISSN - 1059-910X
DOI - 10.1002/jemt.20146
Subject(s) - scanning tunneling microscope , condensed matter physics , monolayer , ferromagnetism , spin polarized scanning tunneling microscopy , scanning tunneling spectroscopy , magnetism , antiferromagnetism , anisotropy , spin (aerodynamics) , quantum tunnelling , materials science , chemistry , nanotechnology , physics , optics , thermodynamics
The system of Fe on W(001) is investigated using spin‐integrated as well as spin‐resolved scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). This study ranges from three‐dimensional Fe islands down to the Fe monolayer and different growth modes are observed related to the preparation temperature. With scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS), a layer‐dependent electronic structure is observed that can easily be used to assign the local coverage to the investigated sample areas. Spin‐resolved measurements of the ferromagnetic layers in the pseudomorphic regime immediately reveal the fourfold magnetic in‐plane anisotropy. A direct comparison of the observed arrangement of the domains of the exposed layers shows a rotation of the easy axis from the fourth to the third monolayer and a collinear magnetic alignment of third and second monolayer. This is confirmed by the quantitative analysis of the layer‐resolved intensities of differential tunneling conductance. The first monolayer does not show a magnetic component parallel to the surface but has a perpendicular anisotropy. For this layer, measurements with an applied magnetic field prove a c(2×2) antiferromagnetic structure, i.e., a checkerboard arrangement of spins. Microsc. Res. Tech. 66:61–71, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.