Spin polarization in low-energy electron diffraction from Pt(111): Experiment and theory

Spin polarization in low-energy electron diffraction from the (111) surface of platinum, which is geometrically unreconstructed, was measured by means of a Mott detector. Corresponding relativistic calculations yield mostly excellent agreement with the data and clearly favour an ion-core scattering potential model containing an energy-dependent exchange approximation.     

Spin polarization in low-energy electron diffraction from Au(110): Theory and experiment

A special LEED system has been constructed, in which the gun is movable in front of the grids and diffracted beams can be extracted through a probe hole in the screen. The polarization is subsequently measured by means of Mott scattering. The Au(110) surface is of particular interest, because it shows a reversible structure transition, which manifests itself in LEED intensities as a change from a (1 × 2) pattern at low temperatures to a (1 × 1) pattern at higher temperatures. For the (1 × 1) structure, spin polarization was measured, with values up to 70%, and calculated for a number of beams as a function of energy and scattering angle. Theoretical and experimental results are in reasonable agreement. In particular, the polarization is found to depend sensitively on geometrical, electronic and vibronic properties of the surface.The experimental work was sponsored by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Sonderforschungsbereich 128     

An analysis of the structure of the iridium (111) surface by low-energy electron diffraction

Elastic low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) intensity versus voltage (I-V) measurements for the clean Ir(111) surface have been obtained. Seven specular I-V spectra were measured from 15 to 975 eV at incident angles from 7° to 62.5° relative to the surface normal. The outermost atomic layer spacing of the unreconstructed Ir(111) surface was determined both by the convolution-transform method we have presented previously (including certain convenient modifications) and by dynamical calculations. Results from the analysis of the I-V spectra by the convolution-transform method indicate that the outermost Ir(111) layer spacing is either unrelaxed or contracts by 4% of its bulk value depending upon whether the θ=7° data or the θ = 25° data are used. In agreement with this, the dynamical calculations show that the outermost Ir(111) layer spacing contracts by 2.5± 5% and, in addition, that the registry of the first layer of the crystal surface is not shifted, maintaining the fcc structure.     

Longitudinal spin polarization and symmetries in low-energy-electron diffraction: Experiment and theory for Pt(111)

In low-energy electron diffraction from Pt(111), the longitudinal component of the spin polarization vector and its transverse component normal to the scattering plane were measured by a Mott detector and found to agree very well with corresponding theoretical results. Rotation diagrams of the longitudinal and transverse components exhibit only a three-fold symmetry in contrast to the six-fold symmetry, which time reversal invariance dictates for intensities.     

Spin polarization effect in the theory of magnetic scattering from antiferromagnetic NiO (111) surfaces by polarized low energy electron diffraction

Dynamical calculations are performed to determine the differential cross section of low energy electrons scattered from antiferromagnetic NiO (111) surfaces. We find that the spin-dependence of this quantity with respect to the incident electron polarization depends strongly on: (1) the magnetization of the topmost layer, (2) the exchange potential model used, and (3) the incident beam angle.     

低能原子沉积在Pt(111)表面的分子动力学模拟

采用嵌入原子方法的原子间相互作用势,利用分子动力学方法模拟了六种贵金属原子(Ni,Pd,Pt,Cu,Ag,Au)分别在Pt(111)表面低能沉积的动力学过程.结果表明:随着入射能量从0.1eV升高到200eV,基体表面原子是按层迁移的,沉积过程对基体表面的影响和沉积原子在基体表层的作用均存在两个转变能量(ET1≈5eV,ET2≈70eV).当入射能量低于5eV时,基体表面几乎没有吸附原子和空位形成,沉积原子在基体表层几乎没有注入产生;当入射能量在5—70eV范围内时,沉积原子在基体表层有注入产生,其注入深度小于两个原子层,即为亚注入,此时吸附原子主要由基体表层原子形成,基体表面第三层以下没有空位形成;当入射能量高于70eV时,沉积原子的注入深度大于两个原子层,将会导致表面以下第三层形成空位,并且空位产额随入射能量的升高而急剧增加.基于分子动力学模拟的结果,对低能沉积作用下的薄膜生长以及最优沉积参数的选择进行了讨论.     

A low-energy electron diffraction study of Fe(110): I. Experimental

The surface contamination on Fe(110) in UHV as observed using Auger spectroscopy is reported as a function of temperature. The accompanying LEED patterns are given and that due to CO or N₂ contamination interpreted in terms of plausible arrangements of adsorbed molecules on the surface. The “carbon ring“ mentioned by other workers which is seen after ion bombardment of the surface is due to such contamination. I-V curves taken at normal incidence are reported for the two main beams for the least contaminated surface so as to allow surface structure analysis.     

Surface relaxation of Pt(111) investigated by ion scattering

The energy levels of some specific forms of screened Coulomb potential, as a function of the perturbation parameter λ, are shown to have a branch cut along the negative real axis, and singularities on the second sheet along $\text{|λ| e}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>\pm (</mtext><mtext>3</mtext><mtext>2</mtext><mtext>)i\pi </mtext>}}$ for |λ| → 0. As a consequence, the energy levels have an asymptotic series in λ, which cannot be used to describe the energy levels to an arbitrary accuracy.     

Surface magnetic structure analysis of Ni(001) by polarized electron diffraction

For spin-polarized low-energy electrons diffracted from ferromagnetic Ni(001), the exchange-and the spin-orbit-induced scattering asymmetries A_ex and A_so of two diffracted beams have been simultaneously measured at T = 300 K and at T = 520 K for several constant energies as functions of the polar angle of incidence. Corresponding “rocking curves” calculated by dynamical theory are in generally good agreement with the data. Analysis of A_so shows firstly that an energy-dependent exchange approximation is adequate, secondly that the topmost interlayer spacing is essentially bulk-like with a possible slight outward relaxation (1%), and thirdly that 3p → 3d excitation is significant. From A_ex the following magnetic information is obtained: The surface magnetization for T = 300 K and 520 K is such as to imply, via extrapolation by mean field theory, a T = 0 value slightly enhanced (by + 5% ± 5%) with respect to the bulk magnetization. The spin asymmetries of localized and uniform inelastic processes are very small, leading, for incident electron energy 69 and 89 eV, to a combined inverse mean free path asymmetry of less than 0.3%.     

Low energy electron diffraction study of the krypton (111) surface

Krypton single crystals of the (111) surface orientation have been epitaxially grown on the (100) face of iridium. LEED intensity-energy spectra have been obtained for the specular and first order non-specular beams of the (111) krypton surface. The temperature dependence of the reflected intensities has also been monitored. Analysis in the kinematic scattering formalism has yielded the krypton effective surface Debye temperature as a function of electron energy. Comparison of the measured effective Debye temperature with the results of a kinematic calculation has indicated probable applicability of the Lennard-Jones (6–12) interatomic potential to surface atoms of krypton.     

Photoelectron diffraction study of ultrathin film growth of Ni on Pt(111)

X-ray photoelectron diffraction (PD) based on a forward scattering approach (FS-PD) has been used to study the growth mode of the first few Ni monolayers deposited on the Pt(111) surface, with a particular attention to the initial stages of epitaxy, i.e. the formation of the first atomic layer. Strong evidences for a layer-by-layer (or Frank-Van der Merwe) growth mode are reported, substantiated also by theoretical simulations carried out with the single scattering cluster-spherical wave (SSC-SW) framework. The first Ni monolayer grows strained in-plane to match the substrate pseudomorphically even if there is a 10% mismatch between the lattice parameters of Ni and Pt. The multilayer (up at least to six monolayers) maintains the horizontal strain and consequently shows a vertical spacing contraction (tetragonal distorsion). It retains the overall threefold symmetry and azimuthal orientation of the substrate, indicative of a single-domain epitaxial fcc stacking. There is also some evidence (even if it is not conclusive) for the fact that the Ni atoms of the first monolayer occupy hcp sites of the substrate surface.