Structural origin of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in Ni–W thin films

The magnetic properties and microstructure of electrodeposited Ni–W thin films (0–11.7 at% W in composition) were studied. The film structures were divided into three regions: an FCC nanocrystalline phase (0–2 at% W), a transition region from FCC nanocrystalline to amorphous phase (2–7 at% W), and an amorphous phase (>7 at% W). In the transition region, (4–5 at% W) films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) were found. The saturation magnetization, magnetic anisotropy field, perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and perpendicular coercivity for a typical Ni–W film (4.5 at% W) were 420 kA/m, 451 kA/m, 230 kJ/m and 113 kA/m, respectively. The microstructure of Ni–W films with PMA is composed of isolated columnar crystalline grains (27–36 nm) with the FCC phase surrounded by the Ni–W amorphous phase. The appearance of the interface between the magnetic core of Ni crystalline grains and the Ni–W non-magnetic boundary layer seems to be the driving mechanism for the appearance of PMA. The origin of PMA in Ni–W films is mainly attributed to the magnetoelastic anisotropy associated with in-plane internal stress and positive magnetostriction. The secondary source of PMA is believed to be the magnetocrystalline anisotropy of 〈1 1 1〉 columnar grains and its shape magnetic anisotropy. It is concluded that Ni–W electrodeposited films (4–5 at% W) may be applicable for perpendicular magnetic recording media.     

STEM observation of tungsten tips sharpened by field-assisted oxygen etching

Tungsten tips oriented toward the <111> direction were fabricated by field-assisted O₂ etching, and observed by means of scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and field ion microscopy (FIM). The radii of curvature of the tip apexes were sharpened from 16–20 nm to less than 2 nm. The O₂ etching is considered to start from the O₂ imaging region depending on the field distribution around the tip apex and shank. We estimated the effect of field distribution derived from a shank shape and applied bias voltage. The results showed that the tip with a cylindrical shank before the O₂ etching became sharper than tips having an initial paraboloidal shape, with respective cone angles (defined in Fig. 3) of 58° and 80°. The field emission (FE) patterns of these etched tips became a single spot derived from the W(111) plane, and their opening angles (defined by the full width at half maximum) were 14.4° and 7.8°, respectively.     

Spinpolarisation von Feldemissionselektronen aus einkristallinem Wolfram

Field-emitted electrons from tungsten tips extracted in magnetic fields of 3–25 kG at 80 K show spin polarization. The observed polarization is always found to be parallel to the external magnetic field for the polycrystalline and oriented tips (〈100〉, 〈110〉 and 〈111〉) investigated. The maximum values of polarization obtained with these monocrystalline emitters range betweenP _max=11–13 percent.     

Step feature observed in the angular dependence of magnetization switching fields in GaMnAs micro-device

The magnetization switching phenomena of GaMnAs Hall devices have been investigated by using the planar Hall effect (PHE) measurement. Though two different sizes of Hall bar devices, width of 300 and of 10 μm, show very similar Curie temperature, their magnetization switching fields behave significantly different. While the angle dependence of magnetization switching field of the 300 μm device showed typical rectangular shape behavior with an applied magnetic field angle in the polar plot, that of the 10 μm device exhibited large step at 〈1 1 0〉 crystallographic directions, breaking the continuity of the switching field in angle dependence. Such unusual phenomenon observed in the 10 μm device was discussed in terms of the change in magnetic anisotropy by the fabrication of micro-device.     

Large magnetic anisotropy in single crystal us

It is shown for ferromagnetic US that an extremely large anisotropy restrains magnetic moments to 〈111〉 easy axes, resulting in a near cos θ angular dependence of the magnetization away from the 〈111〉 axes. This is further confirmed by torque measurements, which in addition show large hysteresis effects upon rotation through the hard axes. It is illustrated through torque and magnetization measurements that a near stable domain configuration can be established by field rotation through decreasing angular amplitude around a hard 〈001〉 direction. The anisotropy constant K₁(T) is estimated by computing the small angle through which the magnetization deviates from the 〈111〉 axes when a field is applied along the [001] direction.     

Neutron diffraction study of antiferromagnetic order in UGa3 under pressure

The unique magnetic structure and property of intermetallic uranium compounds UGa₃ have been investigated by neutron diffraction measurements. With applying pressure we succeeded in revealing the magnetic structure of UGa₃. We suppose that the magnetic moment of UGa₃ at low pressures is along the 〈011〉 direction and that at 2.2 GPa along the 〈111〉 direction. The Néel temperature and magnetic moment are reduced with applied pressure.     

Perpendicular magnetization in Fe/Ni bilayers on GaAs(0 0 1)

Following the concept of spin-injection into a semiconductor-based device, a ferromagnetic element (like a GMR multilayer structure) can be used as a spin filter. A high spin-polarization of the electrons can be realized by the preparation of a monocrystalline multilayer structure consisting of ultrathin films of a high magnetic polarization. In the case of ultrathin films, the manipulation of the easy-axis of magnetization is possible, by changing the anisotropy terms contributing to the effective anisotropy of the structure. We report on the structural and magnetic properties of Ni/Fe and Fe/Ni bilayers epitaxially grown on GaAs(0 0 1). By a proper choice of Fe and Ni sequences (Fe/Ni/GaAs) and their thickness (up to 3 ML of Fe on the top of Ni), the rotation of magnetization from the in-plane to the out-of-plane direction was achieved.     

Width and temperature dependence of lithography-induced magnetic anisotropy in (Ga,Mn)As wires

In-plane magnetic anisotropy of 40-μm-long (Ga,Mn)As wires with different widths (0.4, 1.0, and 20 μm) has been investigated between 5 and 75 K by measuring anisotropic magneto-resistance (AMR). The wires show in-plane 〈1 0 0〉 cubic and [−1 1 0] uniaxial anisotropies, and an additional lithography-induced anisotropy along the wire direction in narrow wires with width of 0.4 and 1.0 μm. We derive the temperature dependence of the cubic, uniaxial, and lithography-induced anisotropy constants from the results of AMR, and find that a sizable anisotropy can be provided by lithographic means, which allows us to control and detect the magnetization reversal process by choosing the direction of the external magnetic fields.     

Measuring magnetic profiles at manganite surfaces with monolayer resolution

The performance of manganite-based magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) has suffered from reduced magnetization present at the junction interfaces that is ultimately responsible for the spin polarization of injected currents; this behavior has been attributed to a magnetic “dead layer” that typically extends a few unit cells into the manganite. X-ray magnetic scattering in resonant conditions (XRMS) is one of the most innovative and effective techniques to extract surface or interfacial magnetization profiles with subnanometer resolution, and has only recently been applied to oxide heterostructures. Here we present our approach to characterizing the surface and interfacial magnetization of such heterostructures using the XRMS technique, conducted at the BEAR beamline (Elettra synchrotron, Trieste). Measurements were carried out in specular reflectivity geometry, switching the left/right elliptical polarization of light as well as the magnetization direction in the scattering plane. Spectra were collected across the Mn L_2,3 edge for at least four different grazing angles to better analyse the interference phenomena. The resulting reflectivity spectra have been carefully fit to obtain the magnetization profiles, minimizing the number of free parameters as much as possible. Optical constants of the samples (real and imaginary part of the refractive index) in the interested frequency range are obtained through absorption measurements in two magnetization states and subsequent Kramers–Krönig transformation, allowing quantitative fits of the magnetization profile at different temperatures. We apply this method to the study of air-exposed surfaces of epitaxial La_2/3Sr_1/3MnO₃ (0 0 1) films grown on SrTiO₃ (0 0 1) substrates.     

Common fingerprint of hydroxylated non-polar steps on MgO smoke and MgO films

The infrared spectra of MgO smoke exposed to water are compared to high-resolution electron energy loss spectra (HREELS) of hydroxylated ultrathin MgO(1 0 0)/Ag(1 0 0) films. Very similar bands are observed at 3458–3480 cm^?1 and 3710–3714 cm^?1. On the basis of first principle calculations, these bands are interpreted as the stretching modes of the two distinct OH groups that are formed at monatomic steps parallel to 〈1 0 0〉 crystallographic directions. The lower frequency band is due to H adsorbed on O at the step edge, while the higher frequency one originates from OH groups that are twofold coordinated with Mg. Consistently, scanning tunnelling microscopy images of MgO films, prepared in similar conditions as during the HREELS experiments, show that the MgO/Ag(1 0 0) island edges are mainly non-polar, i.e. oriented along the 〈1 0 0〉 direction. In spite of that, a minor contribution to the OH-stretch intensity from hydroxylated polar 〈1 1 0〉 steps cannot be excluded; for such geometry density functional theory predicts indeed a single OH species with a vibrational frequency very close to the high-frequency band of OH adsorbed at 〈1 0 0〉 steps.     

High-density uniformly aligned silicon nanotip arrays and their enhanced field emission characteristics

High-density (∼10⁸/cm²), uniformly aligned silicon nanotip arrays are synthesized by a plasma-assisted hot-filament chemical vapor deposition process using mixed gases composed of hydrogen, nitrogen and methane. The silicon nanotips grow along 〈112〉, and are coated in situ with a ∼3 nm thick amorphous carbon film by increasing the methane concentration in the source gases. In comparison to the uncoated silicon nanotips arrays, the coated tips have enhanced field emission properties with a turn-on field of 1.6 V/μm (for 10 μA/cm²) and threshold field of 3 V/μm (for 10 mA/cm²), suggesting their potential applications for flat panel displays.     

Magnetoresistance measurements concerning the conduction band structure of cubic SrTiO3

The longitudinal and transverse magnetoresistance of cubic n-SrTiO₃ was measured with current in 〈001〉 and 〈111〉 directions at 120 K. The results support a model with a warped constant energy surface and are not consistent with a 〈100〉 many model of the lowest conduction band.     

Microstructures and nano mechanical properties of the metal tungsten film

The W film was prepared on 1045 steel by magnetron sputtering, with the thickness of 2 μm, its surface and cross-section morphologies were investigated with SEM, and the phase structure was analyzed with XRD. X-ray stress determinator was utilized to measure its residual stress, and the nano-hardness and elastic modulus of the film were surveyed by nano-indentation tester. The results show that the surface of W film is very compact and smooth; the particles arranged regularly, the granularity of the thin film is about 1 μm. The microcracks, cavities and desquamation were not found in the film and interface, and the bonding between the W film and substrate is well. The XRD results showed that the W film had a body-centered cubic structure, the lattice constant: a = 0.316 nm, the growth preferred orientations are (1 1 0) and (2 2 0). The compressive stress (−169 MPa) was found on the surface. The average nano-hardness and elastic modulus of W film are 15.22 GPa, 176.64 GPa, respectively, and the mechanical properties of W film are well.     

Third order nonlinear optical properties of ethyltriphenylphosphonium bis(2-thioxo-1,3-dithiole-4,5-dithiolato)aurate (III)

A novel organometallic compound, ethyltriphenylphosphonium bis(2-thioxo-1,3-dithiole-4,5-dithiolato)aurate (III), abbreviated as TPEPADT, was synthesized. The TPEPADT doped poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) thin film with a mass fraction of 1% (1 wt.%) was prepared by using a spin-coating method. The third-order nonlinear optical properties of TPEPADT in acetonitrile solution and TPEPADT-doped PMMA thin film were investigated by using the laser Z-scan technique at the wavelength 1064 nm with laser duration of 20 ps. The linear refractive index of the polymer thin film was also studied. The Z-scan curves revealed that both TPEPADT in acetonitrile solution and the polymer thin film possessed negative nonlinear refraction, exhibiting a self-defocusing effect and nonlinear absorption was negligible under the experimental conditions used. The nonlinear refractive index was calculated to be ?1.9 × 10^?18 m²/W for TPEPADT in acetonitrile solution and ?8.9 × 10^?15 m²/W for the polymer thin film. These results suggest that TPEPADT have potential for the application of all-optical switching devices.     

In-well screening of the piezoelectric field by photogenerated carriers in〈111〉CdTe / CdMnTe quantum wells

Photoinduced screening of the piezoelectric field in 〈111〉CdTe / CdMnTe quantum wells is studied by time-resolved photoluminescence in a single quantum well and by time-resolved transmission in a multiple quantum well. Both sets of data are well explained by a model involving in-well screening of the field.     

Preparation and characterization of iron–molybdate thin films

Mixed Fe–Mo oxides are used in industrial catalytic processes of selective oxidation of methanol to formaldehyde. For better understanding of the structure-reactivity relationships of these catalysts we aim to prepare well-ordered iron–molybdate thin films as model catalysts. Here we have studied Mo deposition onto Fe₃O₄ (111) thin films produced on Pt(111) as a function of Mo coverage and annealing temperature using LEED, AES, STM and IRAS. At low temperatures, the iron oxide film is covered by Mo = O terminated molybdena nanoparticles. Upon oxidation at elevated temperatures (T > 900 K), Mo species migrate into the film and form new bonds with oxygen in the film. The resulting films maintain the crystal structure of Fe₃O₄, and the surface undergoes a (√3 × √3)R30° reconstruction. The structure is rationalized in terms of Fe substitution by Mo in the surface layers.     

Nuclear polarization by optical pumping in InP:Fe above liquid nitrogen temperature

Hyperpolarized nuclear spins are observed in optically pumped iron-doped InP from 70 K to 140 K. ³¹P NMR was carried out at 9.28 T (159.8 MHz) during optical excitation with circularly polarized light, using a laser diode (λ∼830 nm) as a source. The enhancement of the nuclear spin polarization by optical pumping at 70 K is estimated to be about 34 for those nuclei in the region of the sample absorbing light. This enhancement decreases with increasing temperature. As the direction of the enhanced nuclear spin polarization is found parallel or antiparallel to the travelling direction of the σ⁺ or σ⁻, the contact hyperfine interaction is dominant compared to the dipolar hyperfine interaction.     

In-plane anisotropy of tunneling magnetoresistance and spin polarization in lateral spin injection devices with (Ga,Mn)As/GaAs spin-Esaki diode contacts

We report here on in-plane anisotropy observed in the tunneling magnetoresistance of (Ga,Mn)As/n⁺-GaAs Esaki diode contacts and in the spin polarization generated in lateral all-semiconductor, all-electrical spin injection devices, employing such Esaki-diode structures as spin aligning contacts. The uniaxial component of the registered anisotropies, observed along [1 1 0] directions, does switch its sign as an effect of the applied bias, however the switching occurs at different bias values for magnetoresistance and for spin polarization cases.     

Low temperature magnetization of TbAl2 single crystals

Magnetization measurements on TbAl₂ single crystals are reported for 4.2 K in magnetic fields up to 50 kOe applied in the three symmetry directions. We find 〈111〉 as the easy and 〈100〉 as the hard direction of magnetization. No quenching of the magnetic moment is observed. The results are interpreted in terms of the crystalline electric field.     

Nanoridge domains in α-phase W films

Two types of nanoridge domains oriented with each other with an angle ranging between 109° and 124° were measured by scanning tunneling microscopy on the α-W film sputter deposited on an oxidized Si surface. Each domain contains nanoridges with a period of 7.5 ± 1.0 nm. No such domains were observed on the β-W film surface. We argued that due to the anisotropy of the W(1 1 0) surface, the impinging W atoms diffuse faster along the 〈111〉 directions on the surface to form the nanoridge structure. There are two equivalent 〈111〉 directions, which give rise to two orientational domains with an angle of ∼110°. An isotropic β-W(1 0 0) phase has no preferred diffusion direction for the impinging W atoms and therefore, no nanoridge domain structure was observed.