I05-ARPES
|
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[12799]
Open Access
Abstract: After the discovery of Dirac fermions in graphene, it has become a natural question to ask whether it
is possible to realize Dirac fermions in other two-dimensional (2D) materials as well. In this work, we
report the discovery of multiple Dirac-like electronic bands in ultrathin Ge films grown on Au(1 1 1)
by angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy. By tuning the thickness of the films, we are able to
observe the evolution of their electronic structure when passing through the monolayer limit. Our
discovery may signify the synthesis of germanene, a 2D honeycomb structure made of Ge, which is a
promising platform for exploring exotic topological phenomena and enabling potential applications.
|
Jul 2017
|
|
B18-Core EXAFS
|
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[15702]
Open Access
Abstract: Using soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy we determined the chemical and magnetic properties of the magnetic topological insulator (MTI) Cr:Sb2Te3. X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) at the Cr L2,3, Te M4,5, and Sb M4,5 edges shows that the Te 5p moment is aligned antiparallel to both the Cr 3d and Sb 5p moments, which is characteristic for carrier-mediated ferromagnetic coupling. Comparison of the Cr L2,3 spectra with multiplet calculations indicates a hybridized Cr state, consistent with the carrier-mediated coupling scenario. We studied the enhancement of the Curie temperature, TC, of the MTI thin film through the magnetic proximity effect. Arrott plots, measured using the Cr L3 XMCD, show a TC ≈ 87 K for the as-cleaved film. After deposition of a thin layer of ferromagnetic Co onto the surface, the TC increases to ∼93 K, while the Co and Cr moments are parallel. This increase in TC is unexpectedly small compared to similar systems reported earlier. The XMCD spectra demonstrate that the Co/MTI interface remains intact, i.e., no reaction between Co and the MTI takes place. Our results are a useful starting point for refining the physical models of Cr-doped Sb2Te3, which is required for making use of them in device applications.
|
Jun 2017
|
|
I10-Beamline for Advanced Dichroism
|
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[8213, 13758]
Abstract: Epitaxial-grown DyFe2/YFe2 multilayer thin films form an ideal model system for the study of magnetic exchange springs. Here the DyFe2 (YFe2) layers are magnetically hard (soft). In the presence of a magnetic field, exchange springs form in the YFe2 layers. Recently, it has been demonstrated that placing small amounts of Er into the centre of the YFe2 springs generates substantial changes in magnetic behavior. In particular, (i) the number of exchange-spring states is increased dramatically, (ii) the resulting domain-wall states cannot simply be described as either Néel or Bloch walls, (iii) the Er and Dy magnetic loops are strikingly different, and (iv) it is possible to engineer Er-induced magnetic exchange-spring collapse. Here, results are presented for Er-doped (110)-oriented DyFe2(60Å)/YFe2(240Å)15(60Å)/YFe2(240Å)15 multilayer films, at 100 K in fields of up to 12 T. In particular, we contrast magnetic loops for fields applied along seemingly equivalent hard-magnetic [110]-type axes. MBE-grown cubic Laves thin films offer the unique feature of allowing to apply the magnetic field along (i) a hard out-of-plane [110]-axis (the growth axis) and (ii ) a similar hard in-plane [View the MathML source1¯10]-axis. Differences are found and attributed to the competition between the crystal-field interaction at the Er site and the long-range dipole-dipole interaction. In particular, the out-of-plane [110] Er results show the existence of a new magnetic exchange spring state, which would be very difficult to identify without the aid of element-specific technique of x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD).
|
May 2017
|
|
I10-Beamline for Advanced Dichroism
|
S. L.
Zhang
,
I.
Stasinopoulos
,
T.
Lancaster
,
F.
Xiao
,
A.
Bauer
,
F.
Rucker
,
A. A.
Baker
,
A. I.
Figueroa
,
Z.
Salman
,
F. L.
Pratt
,
S. J.
Blundell
,
T.
Prokscha
,
A.
Suter
,
J.
Waizner
,
M.
Garst
,
D.
Grundler
,
G.
Van Der Laan
,
C.
Pfleiderer
,
T.
Hesjedal
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[8703, 9595]
Open Access
Abstract: Chiral magnets are promising materials for the realisation of high-density and low-power spintronic memory devices. For these future applications, a key requirement is the synthesis of appropriate materials in the form of thin films ordering well above room temperature. Driven by the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, the cubic compound FeGe exhibits helimagnetism with a relatively high transition temperature of 278 K in bulk crystals. We demonstrate that this temperature can be enhanced significantly in thin films. Using x-ray scattering and ferromagnetic resonance techniques, we provide unambiguous experimental evidence for long-wavelength helimagnetic order at room temperature and magnetic properties similar to the bulk material. We obtain αintr = 0.0036 ± 0.0003 at 310 K for the intrinsic damping parameter. We probe the dynamics of the system by means of muon-spin rotation, indicating that the ground state is reached via a freezing out of slow dynamics. Our work paves the way towards the fabrication of thin films of chiral magnets that host certain spin whirls, so-called skyrmions, at room temperature and potentially offer integrability into modern electronics.
|
Mar 2017
|
|
I10-Beamline for Advanced Dichroism
|
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[11784, 12958]
Open Access
Abstract: The mathematical concept of topology has brought about significant advantages that allow for a fundamental understanding of the underlying physics of a system. In magnetism, the topology of spin order manifests itself in the topological winding number which plays a pivotal role for the determination of the emergent properties of a system. However, the direct experimental determination of the topological winding number of a magnetically ordered system remains elusive. Here, we present a direct relationship between the topological winding number of the spin texture and the polarized resonant X-ray scattering process. This relationship provides a one-to-one correspondence between the measured scattering signal and the winding number. We demonstrate that the exact topological quantities of the skyrmion material Cu2OSeO3 can be directly experimentally determined this way. This technique has the potential to be applicable to a wide range of materials, allowing for a direct determination of their topological properties.
|
Feb 2017
|
|
B18-Core EXAFS
|
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[9178]
Open Access
Abstract: We present a nanoscale structural and density functional study of the Mn doped 3D topological insulator Bi2Te3. X-ray absorption near edge structure shows that Mn has valency of nominally 2+. Extended x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy in combination with electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) shows that Mn is a substitutional dopant of Bi and Te and also resides in the van derWaals gap between the quintuple layers of Bi2Te3. Combination of aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy and EELS shows that Mn substitution of Te occurs in film regions with increased Mn concentration. First-principles calculations show that the Mn dopants favor octahedral sites and are ferromagnetically coupled.
|
Dec 2016
|
|
I10-Beamline for Advanced Dichroism
|
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[12958, 11784]
Open Access
Abstract: Nanoscale chiral skyrmions in noncentrosymmetric helimagnets are promising binary state variables in high-density, low-energy nonvolatile memory. Skyrmions are ubiquitous as an ordered, single-domain lattice phase, which makes it difficult to write information unless they are spatially broken up into smaller units, each representing a bit. Thus, the formation and manipulation of skyrmion lattice domains is a prerequisite for memory applications. Here, using an imaging technique based on resonant magnetic x-ray diffraction, we demonstrate the mapping and manipulation of skyrmion lattice domains in Cu2OSeO3. The material is particularly interesting for applications owing to its insulating nature, allowing for electric field-driven domain manipulation.
|
Nov 2016
|
|
B18-Core EXAFS
|
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[10243]
Open Access
Abstract: We report a study of the strain state of epitaxial MnSi films on Si(111) substrates in the thick film limit (100–500 A) as a function of filmthickness using polarization-dependent extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS). All films investigated are phase-pure and of high quality with a sharp interface between MnSi and Si. The investigated MnSi films are in a thickness regime where the magnetic transition temperature Tc assumes a thickness-independent enhanced value of 43 K as compared with that of bulk MnSi, where Tc = 29 K. A detailed refinement of the EXAFS data reveals that the Mn positions are unchanged, whereas the Si positions vary along the out-of-plane [111] direction, alternating in orientation from unit cell to unit cell. Thus, for thick MnSi films, the unit cell volume is essentially that of bulk MnSi—except in the vicinity of the interface with the Si substrate (thin film limit). In view of the enhanced magnetic transition temperature we conclude that the mere presence of the interface, and its specific characteristics, strongly affects the magnetic properties of the entire MnSi film, even far from the interface. Our analysis provides invaluable information about the local strain at the MnSi/Si(111) interface. The presented methodology of polarization dependent EXAFS can also be employed to investigate the local structure of other interesting interfaces.
|
Nov 2016
|
|
I10-Beamline for Advanced Dichroism
|
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[10207]
Open Access
Abstract: Magnetic doping of topological insulators (TIs) is crucial for unlocking novel quantum phenomena, paving the way for spintronics applications. Recently, we have shown that doping with rare earth ions introduces large magnetic moments and allows for high doping concentrations without the loss of crystal quality, however no long range magnetic order was observed. In Dy-doped Bi2Te3 we found a band gap opening above a critical doping concentration, despite the paramagnetic bulk behavior. Here, we present a surface-sensitive x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) study of an in-situ cleaved film in the cleanest possible environment. The Dy M4,5 absorption spectra measured with circularly polarized x-rays are fitted using multiplet calculations to obtain the effective magnetic moment. Arrott-Noakes plots, measured by the Dy M5 XMCD as a function of field at low temperatures, give a negative transition temperature. The evaporation of a ferromagnetic Co thin film did not introduce ferromagnetic ordering of the Dy dopants either; instead a lowering of the transition temperature was observed, pointing towards an antiferromagnetic ordering scenario. This result shows that there is a competition between the magnetic exchange interaction and the Zeeman interaction. The latter favors the Co and Dy magnetic moments to be both aligned along the direction of the applied magnetic field, while the exchange interaction is minimized if the Dy and Co atoms are antiferromagnetically coupled, as in zero applied field.
|
Nov 2016
|
|
I10-Beamline for Advanced Dichroism
|
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[11501]
Open Access
Abstract: We present a study of the interaction mechanisms in magnetic trilayer structures with an MgO barrier grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The interlayer exchange coupling, Aex, is determined using SQUID magnetometry and ferromagnetic resonance (FMR), displaying an unexpected oscillatory behaviour as the thickness, tMgO, is increased from 1 to 4 nm. Transmission electron microscopy confirms the continuity and quality of the tunnelling barrier, eliminating the prospect of exchange arising from direct contact between the two ferromagnetic layers. The Gilbert damping is found to be almost independent of the MgO thickness, suggesting the suppression of spin pumping. The element-specific technique of x-ray detected FMR reveals a small dynamic exchange interaction, acting in concert with the static interaction to induce coupled precession across the multilayer stack. These results highlight the potential of spin pumping and spin transfer torque for device applications in magnetic tunnel junctions relying on commonly used MgO barriers.
|
Oct 2016
|
|
