Spin-resolved splitting of Kondo resonances in the presence of RKKY-type coupling

We have performed spin-resolved measurements on a Kondo impurity in the presence of RKKY-type exchange coupling. By placing manganese phthalocyanine (MnPc) molecules on Fe-supported Pb islands, a Kondo system is devised which is exchange coupled to a magnetic substrate via conduction electrons in Pb, inducing spin splitting of the Kondo resonance. The spin-polarized nature of the split Kondo resonance and a spin filter effect induced by spin-flip inelastic electron tunneling are revealed by spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy.     

A spin-selective approach for surface states at Co nanoislands

During recent years the surface electronic states of cobalt nanoislands grown on Cu(111) and Au(111) have been extensively studied and still yield fascinating results. Among magnetic surfaces, cobalt islands are particularly appealing because of their spin-polarized electronic states near the Fermi energy, involving localized d states of minority character, as well as free-like s–p states of majority character. We show here that these states are a sensitive probe to minute changes of structural details such as strain and stacking, and therefore constitute an ideal playground to study the interplay between structural and spin-related properties. Due to their size, cobalt islands on Cu(111) offer the additional opportunity to host single-magnetic adsorbates suitable for spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy (SP-STM and SP-STS). We establish here that, in an energy interval just below the Fermi level, the spin-polarization of a transition-metal atom is governed by surface-induced states opposite in sign compared to the island, while the spin-polarization of Co-Phthalocyanine molecules is governed by molecular states. This opens up interesting perspectives for controlling and engineering spin-polarized phenomena at the nanoscale.     

Direct observation of the single-domain limit of Fe nanomagnets by spin-polarized scanning tunneling spectroscopy

We have investigated the magnetic structure of self-organized Fe islands on W(001) by means of spin-polarized scanning tunneling spectroscopy (Sp-STS). Single-domain, simple vortex, and distorted vortex states have been observed. The high resolution magnetic images were used to experimentally determine the single-domain limit. The experimental structures were compared with results of micromagnetic calculations confirming the ground state nature of the experimental configurations. The single-domain limit directly observed with Sp-STS is consistent with theoretical predictions.     

Shape-dependent thermal switching behavior of superparamagnetic nanoislands

The thermal switching behavior of individual perpendicularly magnetized nanoscale Fe islands consisting of 200-600 atoms only is studied by low-temperature spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy. Our results reveal that the switching rate is strongly affected by the particle shape; i.e., elongated islands switch much more rapidly than compact islands of the same volume. This observation is explained by different processes of magnetization reversal. Our results suggest that compact magnetic particles are an ideal choice for future perpendicular magnetic recording media because they are robust against thermal magnetization reversal.     

SPIN-DEPENDENT TUNNELING EFFECTS ON MAGNETIC NANOSTRUCTURES

The contrast mechanism of spin-polarized scanning tunneling spectroscopy (SP-STS) is demontrated on in-plane magnetized Gd islands grown on W (110) using Fe-coated tips. The use of Gd-coated tips enables the imaging of the antiferromagnetic domain structure of Fe nanowires being perpendicularly magnetized grown on a stepped W(110) substrate. The influence of an external magnetic field on the nanowire domain structure is demonstrated. It is shown that the antiferromagnetic domain structure of the Fe nanowires strongly depends on the miscut of the W(110) substrate. While at high miscut the magnetization direction alternates between adjacent DL stripes it was found to alternate within single Fe DL stripes at low miscut. Nanoscale Fe islands with a height of two atomic layers were found to be single domain particles.     

Spin-filtering and charge- and spin-switching effects in a quantum wire with periodically attached stubs

Spin-dependent electron transport in a periodically stubbed quantum wire in the presence of Rashba spin-orbit interaction (SOI) is studied via the nonequilibrium Green’s function (GF) method combined with the Landauer-Büttiker formalism. By comparing with a straight Rashba quantum wire, the magnitude of spin conductance can be enhanced obviously. In addition, the charge and spin switching can also be found in the considered system. The mechanism of these transport properties is revealed by analyzing the total charge density and spin-polarized density distributions in the stubbed quantum wire. Furthermore, periodic spin-density islands with high polarization are also found inside the stubs, owing to the interaction between the charge density islands and the Rashba SOI-induced effective magnetic field. These interesting findings may be useful in further understanding of the transport properties of low-dimensional systems and in devising an all-electrical multifunctional spintronic device based on the proposed structure.     

Kink Structures of Spin-Polarized Electrons due to Electron-Magnon Scattering in Ferromagnetic State

We propose a model composed of spin-polarized itinerant electrons and bosonic spin-wave excitations, and study renormalization of the spin-polarized itinerant electron bands due to electron-magnon scattering. Spin-polarized kink structures are predicted in the normal state quasiparticle dynamics of ferromagnetic superconductor as UGe2. It is suggested that the angle-resolved photoemission experiment may be helpful in this respect.     

Spin-polarized scanning tunneling spectroscopy of nanoscale cobalt islands on Cu(111)

Spin-averaged and spin-polarized scanning tunneling spectroscopy at low temperature was performed on nanometer-scale triangular Co islands grown epitaxially on Cu(111) in the submonolayer coverage regime. Two structurally different island types can clearly be distinguished by their spin-averaged electronic structure. Spin-polarized measurements allow a separation of spectral contributions arising from different island stacking or from opposite magnetization states, respectively. In an applied magnetic field, both island types are found to be magnetized perpendicular to the surface, with large values of saturation field, remanence, and coercivity.     

极化电子与原子散射的广义Stokes参量的实验测量

分析了极化电子与原子散射后的受激原子退激辐射光的广义Stokes参量，介绍了Stokes参量的基本概念和实验测量方法并阐明其具体的物理意义．为自旋极化电子参与的原子或分子碰撞实验和理论模型的研究奠定基础．     

Formation of atomic tritium clusters and bose-einstein condensates

We present an extensive study of the static and dynamic properties of systems of spin-polarized tritium atoms. In particular, we calculate the two-body |F,m(F)>=|0,0> s-wave scattering length and show that it can be manipulated via a Feshbach resonance at a field strength of about 870 G. Such a resonance might be exploited to make and control a Bose-Einstein condensate of tritium in the |0,0> state. It is further shown that the quartet tritium trimer is the only bound hydrogen isotope and that its single vibrational bound state is a Borromean state. The ground state properties of larger spin-polarized tritium clusters are also presented and compared with those of helium clusters.     

Spin-polarized current produced by a double barrier resonant tunneling diode

The spin-polarized tunneling current through a double barrier resonant tunneling diode (RTD) made with a semimagnetic semiconductor is studied theoretically. The calculated spin-polarized current and polarization degree are in agreement with recent experimental results. It is predicted that the polarization degree can be modulated continuously from +1 to −1 by changing the external voltage such that the quasi-confined spin-up and spin-down energy levels shift downwards from the Fermi level to the bottom of the conduction band. The RTD with low potential barrier or the tunneling through the second quasi-confined state produces larger spin-polarized current. Furthermore a higher magnetic field enhances the polarization degree of the tunneling current.     

Magnetization reversal of individual Co nanoislands

We investigate the magnetization reversal of individual Co islands on Cu(111) in the size range of N=700 to 18,000 atoms by spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy at 8 K. The switching field H(sw) changes with island size in a nonmonotonic manner: it increases with island size and reaches a maximum value of 2.4 T at N=5500 atoms, and it decreases for larger islands. We extract the energy barrier for magnetization reversal as a function of island size. The maximum H(sw) corresponds to an energy barrier of 1 eV. Our results elucidate a crossover of the magnetization reversal from an exchange-spring behavior to domain wall formation with increasing size at around 7500 atoms.     

Interfacial resonance state probed by spin-polarized tunneling in epitaxial Fe/MgO/Fe tunnel junctions

The direct impact of the electronic structure on spin-polarized transport has been experimentally proven in high-quality Fe/MgO/Fe epitaxial magnetic tunnel junctions, with an extremely flat bottom Fe/MgO interface. The voltage variation of the conductance points out the signature of an interfacial resonance state located in the minority band of Fe(001). When coupled to a metallic bulk state, this spin-polarized interfacial state enhances the band matching at the interface and therefore increases strongly the conductivity in the antiparallel magnetization configuration. Consequently, the tunnel magnetoresistance is found to be positive below 0.2 V and negative above. On the other hand, when the interfacial state is either destroyed by roughness-related disorder or not coupled to the bulk, the magnetoresistance is almost independent on the bias voltage.     

Spin-filtering junctions with double ferroelectric barriers

An FS/FE/NS/FE/FS double tunnel junction is suggested to have the ability to inject, modulate and detect the spin-polarized current electrically in a single device, where FS is the ferromagnetic semiconductor electrode, NS is the nonmagnetic semiconductor, and FE the ferroelectric barrier. The spin polarization of the current injected into the NS region can be switched between a highly spin-polarized state and a spin unpolarized state. The high spin polarization may be detected by measuring the tunneling magnetoresistance ratio of the double tunnel junction.     

Hall effect induced by a spin-polarized current in superconductors

We propose a novel anomalous Hall effect caused by the spin-polarized current in superconductors (SC). The spin-polarized quasiparticles flowing in SC are deflected by spin-orbit scattering to yield a quasiparticle charge imbalance in the transverse direction. Overall charge neutrality gives rise to a compensating change in the number of Cooper pairs. A transverse electric field builds up as opposed to an acceleration of the Cooper pairs, producing the Hall voltage. It is found that the Hall voltages due to the side jump and skew scattering mechanisms have different temperature dependence in the superconducting state. A spin-injection Hall device to generate the ac Josephson effect is proposed.     

Quantum oscillation of the tunneling conductance in fully epitaxial double barrier magnetic tunnel junctions

We investigated spin-dependent tunneling conductance properties in fully epitaxial double MgO barrier magnetic tunnel junctions with layered nanoscale Fe islands as a middle layer. Clear oscillations of the tunneling conductance were observed as a function of the bias voltage. The oscillation, which depends on the middle layer thickness and the magnetization configuration, is interpreted by the modulation of tunneling conductance due to the spin-polarized quantum well states created in the middle Fe layer. This first observation of the quantum size effect in the fully epitaxial double barrier magnetic tunnel junction indicates great potential for the development of the spin-dependent resonant tunneling effect in coherent tunneling regime.     

Experimental study on helium optical electron polarimetry

Optical electron polarimetry is suitable for calibration of a spin-polarized electron source, especially for measurement of polarization of spin-polarized electron beam. In this paper, a new optical electron polarimeter is described, which is based on the circularly polarized He radiation induced by the bombarding of He atoms with spin-polarized electrons. The theoretical basis of the optical electron polarimetry and the structure of the optical electron polarimeter are discussed. The measurement of polarization of spin-polarized electrons produced from a new GaAs （100） spin-polarized electron source is carried out. The result of polarization of 30.8% for our spin-polarized electron source is obtained using the He optical electron polarimeter.     

Novel intramolecular electron transfer in axial bis(terpyridoxy)phosphorus(V) porphyrin studied by time-resolved EPR spectroscopy

Laser flash-induced spin-polarized transient electron paramagnetic resonance (TREPR) spectra for bis(terpyridoxy)phosphorus(V) porphyrin in a nematic liquid crystal isotropic and in frozen solution are presented. At room temperature, two sequential spin-polarized TREPR spectra are observed. The first is consistent with the triplet state of a radical pair, while the later is assigned to the triplet state of the porphyrin formed by charge recombination. On the basis of the spectroscopic and redox properties of the terpyridine and porphyrin moieties it is proposed that electron transfer from the terpyridine to the excited phosphorus(V) porphyrin occurs. The lifetime of the radical pair is estimated to be of about 175 ns. At low temperature, the radical pair spectrumis no longer observed and the spin polarization pattern of the porphyrin triplet is dramatically different. This behavior is explained by postulating that the electron transfer is inhibited at low temperature because molecular motion is required to stabilize the radical pair. It is proposed that in the absence of this stabilization, the porphyrin triplet state is populated via spin-orbit coupling-mediated intersystem crossing from the excited singlet state.     

Revealing antiferromagnetic order of the Fe monolayer on W(001): spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy and first-principles calculations

We prove that the magnetic ground state of a single monolayer Fe on W(001) is c(2x2) antiferromagnetic, i.e., a checkerboard arrangement of antiparallel magnetic moments. Real space images of this magnetic structure have been obtained with spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy. An out-of-plane easy magnetization axis is concluded from measurements in an external magnetic field. The magnetic ground state and anisotropy axis are explained based on first-principles calculations.     

Topology-induced spin frustrations at the Cr(001) surface studied by spin-polarized scanning tunneling spectroscopy

The magnetic structure of the Cr(001) surface was investigated by spin-polarized scanning tunneling spectroscopy by making use of the spin-polarized surface state located close to the Fermi level. Periodic alternations of the intensity of the surface state peak in local tunneling spectra measured above different ferromagnetic terraces separated by monatomic steps confirm the topological antiferromagnetic order of the Cr(001) surface. Screw dislocations cause topology-induced spin frustration, leading to the formation of domain walls with a width of about 120 nm.