Capture of polarized electrons from Fe(110) into excited terms of fast atoms scattered at grazing incidence

We observe the emission of circularly polarized light after grazing scattering of fast ions at a magnetized Fe(110) surface. Changing the state of magnetization of the target affects the polarization of the emitted light due to capture of spin polarized electrons. Some aspects of atom-surface interaction and investigations of surface magnetism are discussed.     

Diffraction of fast atomic projectiles during grazing scattering from a LiF(001) surface

Light atoms and molecules with energies from 300 eV to 25 keV are scattered under a grazing angle of incidence from a LiF(001) surface. For impact of neutral projectiles along low index directions for strings of atoms in the surface plane we observe a defined pattern of intensity spots in the angular distribution of reflected particles which is consistently described using concepts of diffraction theory and specific features of grazing scattering of atoms from insulator surfaces. Experimental results for scattering of H, D, 3He, and 4He atoms as well as H2 and D2 molecules can be unequivocally referred to atom diffraction with de Broglie wavelengths as low as about 0.001 Angstroms.     

Surface magnetism of Fe(110) from polarized electron scattering

Exchange- and spin—orbit-induced scattering asymmetry spectra of polarized slow electrons from the ferromagnetic Fe(110) surface have been calculated by dynamical theory and found to agree with recent experimental data taken at room temperature. Comparison of exchange asymmetry spectra, obtained for various interaction and layer-dependent magnetization models, with the data implies firstly an enhancement of the surface magnetization by about 30% with respect to the bulk, and secondly the importance of spin-dependent localized inelastic electron—electron scattering processes.     

Peak structure of polarized bremsstrahlung upon scattering by coupled atomic electrons

Peculiarities of polarized bremsstrahlung (PB) of relativistic electrons produced upon scattering by coupled atomic electrons are discussed; in this case, PB is regarded as scattering of virtual photons of the electromagnetic field of a fast charge by atomic electrons with their coupling taken into account. In this case, the atomic electron during scattering can acquire recoil energy only through separate portions, as a result of which the spectrum of scattered photons degenerates into a series of narrow peaks.     

Spin polarized threshold-photoemission from Ni(110) with transverse sample magnetization

A spin polarized photoemission experiment using transverse magnetized samples is described in detail. We discuss the advantages of this set-up in comparison to the one used so far which employed the longitudinal magnetization (polarization) geometry. Data on Ni(110) are presented including oxygen adsorption results, and discussed along current ideas in spin polarized photoemission theory.     

Inelastic scattering of He atoms from a Cu(110) surface

A He beam has been used to measure inelastic scattering from a Cu(110) surface. The scattering was a result of predominantly single phonon events and both energy gain and loss processes were observed. This was in contrast to Cu(001) where only energy loss was observed. For Cu(110), aligned in the [001] azimuth, partial dispersion relations have been measured which meant that phonons with ΔQ values up to the zone boundary value have not been detected under the present experimental conditions. The elastic incoherent component varied with azimuthal angle for Cu(110).     

Capture into rydberg states and momentum distributions of ionized electrons

The yield of neutral excited atoms and low-energy photoelectrons generated by the electron dynamics in the combined Coulomb and laser field after tunneling is investigated. We present results of Monte-Carlo simulations built on the two-step semiclassical model, as well as analytic estimates and scaling relations for the population trapping into the Rydberg states. It is shown that mainly those electrons are captured into bound states of the neutral atom that due to their initial conditions (i) have moderate drift momentum imparted by the laser field and (ii) avoid strong interaction (“hard” collision) with the ion. In addition, it is demonstrated that the channel of capture, when accounted for in semiclassical calculations, has a pronounced effect on the momentum distribution of electrons with small positive energy. For the parameters that we investigated its presence leads to a dip at zero momentum in the longitudinal momentum distribution of the ionized electrons.     

Low energy ion scattering from a Ni(100) surface

We have tudied the scattering of He and Ne ione from a clean Ni(001) surface in the energy range of 0.5 to 5 keV. The spectra are dominated by scattering from atoms in the first layer for energies belowe 2 keV, whereas for higher energies contributions from the second layer can be identified. In the impact collision mode of ion scattering spectroscopy with a scattering angle =164°, the shape of the shadow cone can be determined. These experimental shadow cone radii agree over a wide range of parameters well with calculations using a Thomas-Fermi-Molière potential with a reduced screening length.     

Fast atom diffraction during grazing scattering from a MgO(001) surface

Fast neutral atoms and molecules with energies from 0.4 up to 3 keV are scattered under a grazing angle of incidence from a clean and flat MgO(001) surface. For “axial surface channeling” conditions, we observe defined diffraction patterns in the angular intensity distributions for scattered ³He and ⁴He atoms as well as H₂ molecules. The diffraction patterns are analyzed in terms of semiclassical trajectory calculations making use of projectile surface interaction potentials derived from density functional theory and from pair potentials calculated from Hartree–Fock wave functions. From comparison of measured and calculated diffraction patterns we deduced the rumpling of the topmost surface layer of MgO(001), i.e. an inward shift of Mg²⁺ ions with respect to O^2? ions, of (0.03±0.03) Å.     

Optical detection of surface states in GaAs(110) and GaP(110)

We present results on the optical detection of surface states in GaAs(110)and GaP(110)by the method of the fractional change of external reflectivity. Optical transitions are observed at ～3.1 eV m GaAs(110) and ～3.4 eV in GaP. A comparison with existing theories suggests a rotational relaxation model for the surface, with partial relaxation for GaAs(110) and full relaxation for GaP(110).     

Carburization of Cu(110)-Fe alloys by CO excited by electrons

Carbon deposition due to electron excited carbon monoxide is observed on Cu(110)-Fe surfaces. This is studied with a filament specially mounted for this purpose. When copper is covered by more than a few carbon monolayers there is no evidence of a ceasing of the reaction. Iron is lifted from the surface or at least is not completely covered by carbon. The reaction proceeds fastest when a large amount of very small clusters or monomers of iron is present at the surface; the rate is observed to decrease with increasing iron fraction when more iron than a few percent is present at the surface as then only the number and size of the iron facets grow.     

Spin-asymmetry in elastic scattering of low-energy electrons from ultrathin Au films on W(110)

We present joint experimental and theoretical results on the elastic scattering of spin-polarized electrons from an epitaxial Au film on a W(110) substrate in the energy range from 8 eV to 27 eV. A time-of-flight technique with a position-sensitive detector is applied to measure secondary emission spectra for spin-up and spin-down primary electrons in a specular geometry. The spin-asymmetry of coherently scattered electrons is obtained by selecting the diffraction spot on the detector. Regions of large asymmetries – with a maximum of about ?60 % – are identified for electron energies of about 14 eV. Relativistic multiple-scattering calculations produce spin-orbit-induced asymmetries which are in agreement with their experimental counterparts. They further reveal that large asymmetries are associated with high intensities. This offers the possibility of an efficient new spin polarimeter with a figure of merit of about 1.5 · 10^?2.     

Survival of He+ ions during grazing scattering from a Ag(111) surface

He+ ions as well as neutral He atoms with keV energies are scattered under a grazing angle of incidence from a clean and atomically flat Ag(111) surface. From a comparison of ion fractions observed after scattering of He+ ions and He atoms we find for energies below some keV small but defined fractions of ions that have survived the complete scattering event with the surface. This feature allows us to clear up the microscopic interaction scenario for Auger neutralization of He+ ions at a Ag(111) surface. The Auger neutralization rates are 2 to 3 orders of magnitude smaller than conventional rates derived from experiments for He+-metal systems and agree with recent calculations.     

One-dimensional spin-polarized quantum-wire states in Au on Ni(110)

Au chain structures have been prepared on Ni(110). Au6 s,p-derived features in photoemission spectra are identified as quantum-wire states due to their strong dispersion along the chains and absence of dispersion perpendicular to the chains in agreement with our ab initio calculation of the electronic structure. Spin analysis reveals that the states have minority-spin character showing that the confinement of electrons in the chain structure depends on the electron spin.     

Spin-polarized electrons in collisions of multicharged nitrogen ions with a magnetized Fe(001) surface

We report on the first spin-resolved energy spectra for the emission of electrons during grazing scattering of 150 keV multicharged nitrogen ions from a magnetized Fe(001) surface. A substantial spin polarization for KLL Auger electrons emitted in the final stage of the neutralization sequence during the interaction of multicharged ions with a metal surface is observed. We conclude from our data that the projectile L shell is dominantly populated by electrons from the conduction band of the target. For low energy electrons we find an increase of their spin polarization with an increase of the projectile charge.     

On the diffraction of He by a Ni(110) surface

The diffraction of low-energy He atoms by a Ni(110) surface is studied using hard and soft wall models for the elastic scattering. The effects of thermal vibrations and inelastic processes on the He intensities are estimated. It is shown that the experimental spectra imply a corrugation height along the [001] direction that is maximally 0.12 au. A value of 0.30 au, calculated recently within a scheme that assumes the repulsive interaction to be proportional to the electron density of unperturbed Ni(110), leads to “double rainbow” diffraction patterns qualitatively different from those observed.     

Highly excited atomic states in a static electric field

We have performed exact numerical calculations for a hydrogen atom perturbed by a uniform electric field for some Stark sublevels with n = 12, 13, 14, 15. The results are compared with recent experimental data for excited states of sodium.