B18-Core EXAFS
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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.
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Nov 2016
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I10-Beamline for Advanced Dichroism
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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.
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Oct 2016
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Magnets
Theoretical Physics
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L. J.
Collins-mcintyre
,
L. B.
Duffy
,
A.
Singh
,
N-j
Steinke
,
C. J.
Kinane
,
T. R.
Charlton
,
A.
Pushp
,
A. J.
Kellock
,
S. S. P.
Parkin
,
S. N.
Holmes
,
C. H. W.
Barnes
,
G.
Van Der Laan
,
S.
Langridge
,
T.
Hesjedal
Open Access
Abstract: We report the structural, electronic, and magnetic study of Cr-doped Sb2Te3 thin films grown by a two-step deposition process using molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE). The samples were investigated using a variety of complementary techniques, namely, x-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy, SQUID magnetometry, magneto-transport, and polarized neutron reflectometry (PNR). It is found that the samples retain good crystalline order up to a doping level of x = 0.42 (in CrxSb2−xTe3), above which degradation of the crystal structure is observed by XRD. Fits to the recorded XRD spectra indicate a general reduction in the c-axis lattice parameter as a function of doping, consistent with substitutional doping with an ion of smaller ionic radius. The samples show soft ferromagnetic behavior with the easy axis of magnetization being out-of-plane. The saturation magnetization is dependent on the doping level, and reaches from 2 μB to almost 3 μB per Cr ion. The transition temperature (Tc) depends strongly on the Cr concentration and is found to increase with doping concentration. For the highest achievable doping level for phase pure films of x = 0.42, a Tc of 125K was determined. Electric transport measurements find surface-dominated transport below 10K. The magnetic properties extracted from anomalous Hall effect data are in excellent agreement with the magnetometry data. PNR studies indicate a uniform magnetization profile throughout the film, with no indication of enhanced magnetic order towards the sample surface.
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Sep 2016
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I10-Beamline for Advanced Dichroism
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[9210]
Open Access
Abstract: Topological insulators (TIs) have a large potential for spintronics devices owing to their spin-polarized, counter-propagating surface states. Recently, we have investigated spin pumping in a ferromagnet-TI-ferromagnet structure at room temperature. Here, we present the temperature-dependent measurement of spin pumping down to 10 K, which shows no variation with temperature.
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Jul 2016
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I10-Beamline for Advanced Dichroism
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[11784]
Abstract: We report the study of the skyrmion state near the surface of Cu2OSeO3 using soft resonant elastic x-ray scattering (REXS) at the Cu L3 edge. Within the lateral sampling area of 200 × 200 μm2, we found a longrange-ordered skyrmion lattice phase as well as the formation of skyrmion domains via the multiple splitting of the diffraction spots. In a recent REXS study of the skyrmion phase of Cu2OSeO3 [M. C. Langner, S. Roy, S. Mishra, J. Lee, X. Shi, M. Hossain, Y.-D. Chuang, S. Seki, Y. Tokura, S. Kevan, and R. Schoenlein, Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 167202 (2014)], the authors reported the observation of the unexpected existence of two distinct skyrmion sublattices that arise from inequivalent Cu sites, and that the rotation and superposition of the two periodic structures lead to a moir´e pattern. However, we find no energy splitting of the Cu peak in x-ray-absorption measurements and, instead, discuss alternative origins of the peak splitting. In particular, we find that for magnetic field directions deviating from the major cubic axes a multidomain skyrmion lattice state is obtained, which consistently explains the splitting of the magnetic spots into two—and more—peaks.
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Jun 2016
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I10-Beamline for Advanced Dichroism
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[11784, 12958]
Abstract: Magnetic skyrmions in chiral magnets are nanoscale, topologically protected magnetization swirls that are promising candidates for spintronics memory carriers. Therefore, observing and manipulating the skyrmion state on the surface level of the materials are of great importance for future applications. Here, we report a controlled way of creating a multidomain skyrmion state near the surface of a Cu2OSeO3 single crystal, observed by soft resonant elastic X-ray scattering. This technique is an ideal tool to probe the magnetic order at the L3 edge of 3d metal compounds giving an average depth sensitivity of ∼50 nm. The single-domain 6-fold-symmetric skyrmion lattice can be broken up into domains, overcoming the propagation directions imposed by the cubic anisotropy by applying the magnetic field in directions deviating from the major cubic axes. Our findings open the door to a new way to manipulate and engineer the skyrmion state locally on the surface or on the level of individual skyrmions, which will enable applications in the future.
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Apr 2016
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I10-Beamline for Advanced Dichroism
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[10207]
Abstract: We investigate the magnetic properties of Ho-doped Bi2Te3 thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Analysis of the polarized X-ray absorption spectra at the Ho M5 absorption edge gives an effective 4f magnetic moment which is ∼45% of the Hund's rule ground state value. X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) shows no significant anisotropy, which suggests that the reduced spin moment is not due to the crystal field effects, but rather the presence of non-magnetic or antiferromagnetic Ho sites. Extrapolating the temperature dependence of the XMCD measured in total electron yield and fluorescence yield mode in a field of 7 T gives a Curie–Weiss temperature of ϑCW ≈ –30 K, which suggests antiferromagnetic ordering, in contrast to the paramagnetic behavior observed with SQUID magnetometry. From the anomaly of the XMCD signal at low temperatures, a Néel temperature TN between 10 K and 25 K is estimated. (© 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
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Apr 2016
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B18-Core EXAFS
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[11119]
Open Access
Abstract: The breaking of time-reversal symmetry (TRS) in topological insulators is a prerequisite for unlocking their exotic properties and for observing the quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE). The incorporation of dopants which exhibit magnetic long-range order is the most promising approach for TRS-breaking. REBiTe3, wherein 50% of the Bi is substitutionally replaced by a RE atom (RE = Gd, Dy, and Ho), is a predicted QAHE system. Despite the low solubility of REs in bulk crystals of a few %, highly doped thin films have been demonstrated, which are free of secondary phases and of high crystalline quality. Here we study the effects of exposure to atmosphere of rare earth-doped Bi2(Se, Te)3 thin films using x-ray absorption spectroscopy. We demonstrate that these RE dopants are all trivalent and effectively substitute for Bi3+ in the Bi2(Se, Te)3 matrix. We find an unexpected high degree of sample oxidation for the most highly doped samples, which is not restricted to the surface of the films. In the lowdoping limit, the RE-doped films mostly show surface oxidation, which can be prevented by surface passivation, encapsulation, or in-situ cleaving to recover the topological surface state.
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Mar 2016
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I10-Beamline for Advanced Dichroism
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[11501]
Open Access
Abstract: Spin transfer in magnetic multilayers offers the possibility of ultrafast, low-power device operation. We report a study of spin pumping in spin valves, demonstrating that a strong anisotropy of spin pumping from the source layer can be induced by an angular dependence of the total Gilbert damping parameter, alpha, in the spin sink layer. Using lab- and synchrotron-based ferromagnetic resonance, we show that an in-plane variation of damping in a crystalline Co50Fe50 layer leads to an anisotropic alpha in a polycrystalline Ni81Fe19 layer. This anisotropy is suppressed above the spin diffusion length in Cr, which is found to be 8 nm, and is independent of static exchange coupling in the spin valve. These results offer a valuable insight into the transmission and absorption of spin currents, and a mechanism by which enhanced spin torques and angular control may be realized for next-generation spintronic devices.
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Jan 2016
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I10-Beamline for Advanced Dichroism
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[9234]
Open Access
Abstract: Magnetic skyrmion materials have the great advantage of a robust topological magnetic structure, which makes them stable against the superparamagnetic effect and therefore a candidate for the next-generation of spintronic memory devices. Bulk MnSi, with an ordering temperature of 29.5 K, is a typical skyrmion system with a propagation vector periodicity of ∼18 nm. One crucial prerequisite for any kind of application, however, is the observation and precise control of skyrmions in thin films at room-temperature. Strain in epitaxial MnSi thin films is known to raise the transition temperature to 43 K. Here we show, using magnetometry and x-ray spectroscopy, that the transition temperature can be raised further through proximity coupling to a ferromagnetic layer. Similarly, the external field required to stabilize the helimagnetic phase is lowered. Transmission electron microscopy with element-sensitive detection is used to explore the structural origin of ferromagnetism in these Mn-doped substrates. Our work suggests that an artificial pinning layer, not limited to the MnSi/Si system, may enable room temperature, zero-field skyrmion thin-film systems, thereby opening the door to device applications.
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Jan 2016
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