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We report on a wide variety of magnetic states in Co/Cu multilayered nanocylinders grown by electrodeposition with different thicknesses of both elements. The remnant magnetic states in individual Co layers have quantitatively been determined at the nanoscale by micromagnetic reconstruction of the magnetic phase shift image obtained by electron holography. We demonstrate that the magnetization in the Co layers can present either uniform or vortex states. Also, different magnetic configurations can be observed within the same nanocylinder. In the case of vortices, the direction of the core can rotate almost at 90° from the nanocylinder axis for layers with an aspect ratio close to 1. We show that the occurrence of each magnetic configuration depends on the aspect ratio of the layers, the direction of magnetocrystalline anisotropy, and, in some cases, the interlayer dipolar coupling. Such a wide variety of magnetic states is observed due to lower values of the Co magnetic constants (magnetization, exchange, anisotropy) with respect to bulk, typical of the electrodeposition process in a single bath, and to the local geometrical variation of the layers. We also calculated the phase diagram of the remnant magnetic states in a single layer for various amplitudes and orientations of the magnetocrystalline anisotropy and different directions of the saturation field. In particular cases, these phase diagrams, in addition to statistics of occurrence of each kind of magnetic configurations in the multilayer and the application of a saturation field in different directions, allow for recovering information on the preferential orientation of the crystalline anisotropy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural and chemical properties of InAs/AlSb interfaces have been studied by transmission electron microscopy. InAs/AlSb multilayers were grown by molecular beam epitaxy with different growth sequences at interfaces. The out-of-plane strain, determined using high resolution microscopy and geometrical phase analysis, has been related to the chemical composition of the interfaces analyzed by high angle annular dark field imaging. Considering the local strain and chemistry, we estimated the interface composition and discussed the mechanisms of interface formation for the different growth sequences. In particular, we found that the formation of the tensile AlAs-type interface is spontaneously favored due to its high thermal stability compared to the InSb-type interface. We also showed that the interface composition could be tuned using an appropriate growth sequence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an in-depth study of the magnetotransport properties of epitaxial Fe3O4 films as a function of film thickness. The films, grown on α-Al2O3(0001) single crystals by atomic-oxygen assisted molecular beam epitaxy, exhibit high structural order and abrupt interfaces. These films contain antiphase boundaries (APBs), the density of which is strongly dependent on film thickness. A series of resistivity and magnetoresistance measurements demonstrate a systematic evolution of these properties with decreasing film thickness, revealing the impact of APBs on the transport properties in the films. We present a model based on the spin-polarized transport across an antiferromagnetically coupled APB in order to successfully reproduce our experimental data over a large range of applied magnetic fields. The comparison of this model with experimental results further clarifies the mechanism of the anomalous magnetotransport behavior in Fe3O4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new electron holography experiment is developed to explain the local magnetic switching process taking place in the magnetic tunnel junctions. The different layers of the junctions are shown to exhibit no magnetic coupling.

The energy-loss magnetic chiral dichroism approach is emplpyed to explain the different magnetic properties of the various FeCo alloys. The method is shown to be extremely sensitive to the magnetic properties of the system.

The signal-to-noise ratio of measurements by electron holography could be considerably improved if longer exposure times were possible: increasing the number of electrons contributing to the hologram improves the counting statistics. However, instrumental instabilities causing drift in the hologram fringes and specimen position make acquisition times of above a few seconds counterproductive. The current approach is to acquire image stacks of holograms, with short exposure times, followed by numerical realignment through sophisticated post-processing. The associated data storage and manipulation make in-situ and tomography experiments extremely cumbersome. Here, we implement dynamic automation of electron holography experiments to overcome these problems. The real-time drift measurement and feedback control of the instrument allow single holograms to be acquired with exposure times of 30 min or more. Indeed, there are no longer any limitations from instrumental instabilities and only those imposed by the specimen itself. Furthermore, automation allows the implementation of sophisticated phase reconstruction techniques based on precise control of the experimental conditions. Smart acquisition of electron holograms preludes future computer-controlled electron microscopy capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most studies on MnAs material in its bulk form have been focused on its temperature-dependent structural phase transition accompanied by a magnetic one. Magnetostructural phase transition parameters in thin MnAs films grown on substrates present however some differences from the bulk behavior, and local studies become mandatory for a deeper understanding of the mechanisms involved within the transition. Up to now, only surface techniques have been carried out, while the transition is a three-dimensional phenomenon. We therefore developed an original nanometer scale methodology using electron holography to investigate the phase transition in an epitaxial MnAs thin film on GaAs(001) from the cross-section view. Using quantitative magnetic maps recorded at the nanometer scale as a function of the temperature, our work provides a direct in situ observation of the inhomogeneous spatial distribution of the transition in the layer depth and brings new insights on the fundamental transition mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spontaneously formed Al-As type interfaces of the InAs/AlSb system grown by molecular beam epitaxy for quantum cascade lasers were investigated by atomic resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy. Experimental strain profiles were compared to those coming from a model structure. High negative out-of-plane strains with the same order of magnitude as perfect Al-As interfaces were observed. The effects of the geometrical phase analysis used for strain determination were evidenced and discussed in the case of abrupt and huge variations of both atomic composition and bond length as observed in these interfaces. Intensity profiles performed on the same images confirmed that changes of chemical composition are the source of high strain fields at interfaces. The results show that spontaneously assembled interfaces are not perfect but extend over 2 or 3 monolayers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the magnetization at the Cr/MgO interface, which we studied through two complementary techniques: angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and polarized neutron reflectivity. We experimentally observe an enhanced interface magnetization at the interface, yet with values much smaller than the ones reported so far by theoretical and experimental studies on Cr(001) surfaces. Our findings cast some doubts on the interpretations on previous works and could be useful in antiferromagnetic spin torque studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A dedicated transmission electron microscope sample holder has been used to study in situ the cold-field emission process of carbon cone nanotips (CCnTs). We show that when using a CCnT instead of a Au plate-anode, the standard deviation of the emission current noise can be decreased from the 10 nA range to the 1 nA range under vacuum conditions of 10-5 Pa. This shows the strong influence of the anode on the cold-field emission current noise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NiFe2O4(111) ultrathin films (3-5 nm) have been grown by oxygen-assisted molecular beam epitaxy and integrated as effective spin-filter barriers. Structural and magnetic characterizations have been performed in order to investigate the presence of defects that could limit the spin filtering efficiency. These analyses have revealed the full strain relaxation of the layers with a cationic order in agreement with the inverse spinel structure but also the presence of antiphase boundaries. A spin-polarization up to þ25% has been directly measured by the Meservey-Tedrow technique in Pt(111)/NiFe2O4(111)/γ-Al2O3(111)/Al tunnel junctions. The unexpected positive sign and relatively small value of the spin-polarization are discussed, in comparison with predictions and previous indirect tunnelling magnetoresistance measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the correlations between magnetic anisotropy and strain state in CoFe2O4 ultrathin films grown on MgAl2O4(100) and MgAl2O4(111) substrates. By local strain analysis using the geometric phase method, a significant in-plane compressive strain is observed for the (001) orientation while a full relaxation is detected for the (111) orientation. The relaxation process in CoFe2O4(111) layers induces interface dislocations and a large amount of antiphase boundaries while a pseudomorphic growth is observed for the (001) direction, decreasing significantly the density of antiphase boundaries. By comparing the magnetoelastic energy terms, the correlation between strain state and resultant magnetization is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution and movement of charge is fundamental to many physical phenomena, particularly for applications involving nanoparticles, nanostructures, and electronic devices. However, there are very few ways of quantifying charge at the necessary length scale. Here, we show that aberration-corrected electron holography is capable of counting the charge on individual nanoparticles to a precision of one elementary unit of charge. We present a method that measures charges within predefined contours by directly applying Gauss's law at the nanoscale. We perform a statistical analysis to reveal the relationship between the size of the contours and the precision of the charge measurement and present strategies to optimize the spatial and signal resolution for the presented method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Lorentz transmission electron microscopy (LTEM) combined with in-situ magnetizing experiments is a powerful tool for the investigation of the magnetization of the reversal process at the micron scale. We have implemented this tool on a conventional transmission electron microscope (TEM) to study the exchange anisotropy of a polycrystalline Co35Fe65/NiMn bilayer. Semi-quantitative maps of the magnetic induction were obtained at different field values by the differential phase contrast (DPC) technique adapted for a TEM (SIDPC). The hysteresis loop of the bilayer has been calculated from the relative intensity of magnetic maps. The curve shows the appearance of an exchange-bias field reveals with two distinct reversal modes of the magnetization: the first path corresponds to a reversal by wall propagation when the applied field is parallel to the anisotropy direction whereas the second is a reversal by coherent rotation of magnetic moments when the field is applied antiparallel to unidirectional anisotropy direction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We have studied the epitaxial growth of Au and Pt layers on Fe3O4(111) as a function of the deposition temperature and thickness. The layers were deposited by UHV sputtering and the structural properties were investigated by reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED), X-ray experiments and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The epitaxial growth of both metals was obtained whatever the deposition conditions but the wetting is however different for the two metals. Comparison between the coverage ratios of Au and Pt is correlated with their surface and interfaces energies. The optimum conditions to achieve a 2D flat epitaxial metallic layer are determined. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The epitaxial growth of Pt, Au and Ag layers on Fe3O4(001) as a function of temperature and thickness have been studied. The layers were deposited by sputtering in an ultra high vacuum chamber and the structural properties were investigated by Reflection High Energy Electron Diffraction, X-ray reflectivity and diffraction, High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy. Our studies give evidence for three different growth behaviours depending both on the nature of the metals and the temperature. Comparison between the growth modes of the three metals will be discussed in relation with surface and interfaces energies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Epitaxial Fe3O4/NiO bilayers were epitaxially grown on MgO(001) and Al2O3(0001) substrates to investigate the influence of the fully spin compensated (001) and the non-compensated (111) NiO interface planes between the ferromagnetic (F) and antiferromagnetic (AF) layers on the AF/F exchange coupling. Bilayers of different magnetite thicknesses and constant NiO thickness were investigated. The structural characterizations indicate a perfect epitaxy of the two layers for the both growth directions in the two Fe3O4/NiO/MgO(001) and NiO/Fe3O4/Al2O3(0001) systems. An epitaxial ferrimagnetic (Ni,Fe)Fe2O4 phase is observed at the AF/F interface when the NiO oxide is grown on the top of the Fe3O4 layer while a perfectly flat AF/F interface is observed in the Fe3O4/NiO/MgO(001) system exhibiting only a very slight interdiffusion. Magnetic measurements indicate a relative strong bias at 300 K for the bilayers grown on Al2O3(0001), which decreases with the inverse of the ferrimagnetic layer thickness as theoretically expected. On the contrary, a zero exchange biasing is observed at 300 K for the bilayers grown on MgO(001). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetite Fe3O4 films were grown on single crystal MgO (001) substrates using facing target sputtering technique. Conversion Electron Mössbauer Spectroscopy and magneto optical polar Kerr spectra have confirmed the stoichiometric repartition of Fe cations corresponding to the inverse spinel structure and the electronic structure characteristic of bulk Fe3O4. Hysteresis loops carried out at room temperature show that, in a 1 T applied magnetic field, only 60% of the saturation magnetization is detected. This behavior is discussed in correlation to the antiphase boundaries (APBs) observed by electron microscopy. Magnetic force microscopy studies show that magnetic domains are larger than the mean distance between APBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the significantly enhanced in-plane magnetic properties of CoFe2O4 (001) ultrathin layers (5 nm) grown on MgAl2O4 (001) in comparison to films deposited on MgO (001). The predicted inverse spinel structure is confirmed by x-ray magnetic circular dichroism measurements and transmission electronic microscopy studies reveal a significant in-plane compressive strain, responsible for the strong film anisotropy. These results show that strain engineering can be used to tailor the magnetic properties of oxide ultrathin films. A large compressive strain restores bulk magnetic properties for CoFe2O4 films at tunnel barrier thicknesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]