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The magnetic structure of Fe-doped CoFe2O4 (Co1−xFe2+xO4) grown on MgO (0 0 1) and SrTiO3 (0 0 1) substrates is studied with superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry and soft x-ray magnetic spectroscopies. X-ray and electron diffraction show that the choice of substrate has large effects on the strain, crystal structure and surface morphology of Co1−xFe2+xO4 thin films. Samples grown on MgO have small, coherent strains and surfaces that are nearly atomically flat, whereas films grown on SrTiO3 have large tensile strains and surfaces terminated with islands, which indicate the presence of a large density of misfit dislocations. These differences in structural properties correlate with the large differences seen in the magnetic structure; samples grown on SrTiO3 have larger magnetic moments and increased anisotropies compared to those grown on MgO. Most strikingly, the large magnetic spin and orbital moments found in the films grown on SrTiO3 suggest a suppression of anti-phase boundary formation, which we attribute to the large compressive lattice mismatch and the formation of misfit dislocations during the film growth in order to relieve the epitaxial strain. This results in the films grown on SrTiO3 having magnetic properties that are more similar to bulk Co1−xFe2+xO4 than those grown on MgO, demonstrating that epitaxial strain can result in large changes in the magnetic structure of Co1−xFe2+xO4.

Ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) spectroscopy, x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) spectroscopy and magnetic transmission soft x-ray microscopy (MTXM) experiments have been performed to gain insight into the magnetic anisotropy and domain structure of ultrathin Co | Ni multilayer films with a thin permalloy layer underneath. MTXM images with a spatial resolution better than 25 nm were obtained at the Co L3 edge down to an equivalent thickness of Co of only 1 nm, which establishes a new lower boundary on the sensitivity limit of MTXM. Domain sizes are shown to be strong functions of the anisotropy and thickness of the film.

Cobalt nanoparticles have been embedded either within magnetic thin films of CuNi or Ni, or at their interface with an Al capping layer. Soft X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) was used to measure element-specific hysteresis loops, allowing discrimination between the nanoparticles and the host film. The hysteresis shows coupling between the nanoparticles and the films and a reduction in coercivity is observed when positioning the nanoparticles within the film, as opposed to at its interface with the cap. Sum rule analysis of the XMCD spectra makes it possible to determine the orbital to spin moment ratios for Co and Ni in the samples. The difference in the calculated ratios is consistent with the differences in the coercivities, the films appearing more homogenous due to hybridization of the 3d bands of Co and Ni when the nanoparticles are embedded deeper within the films, creating less pinning sites and hence a lower coercivity.

We have studied the effects of the initial stages of the annealing on magnetic tunnel junctions with MgO barriers and CoFeB electrodes. We report changes in the resistance–voltage characteristics and tunneling magnetoresistance for patterned transport junctions, and correlate these with the observed changes in the structural and magnetic interface morphologies determined by soft X-ray resonant magnetic scattering from sheet films from the same wafer. An important feature of our experiment was that all measurements were carried out within the soft X-ray diffractometer on samples from the same wafer subjected to simultaneous annealing cycles, so that our magnetotransport and scattering data are directly comparable. The as-grown junction showed a tunneling magnetoresistance ratio of 5.5%, and a specific barrier resistance of 85.6 k Ω μ m 2 . A 200 ∘ C anneal for 1 h resulted in a small rise in barrier resistance and magnetoresistance coupled with a smoothing of the magnetic interfaces, consistent with the healing of barrier defects and removal of tunneling hot-spots. A subsequent 300 ∘ C anneal for a further hour resulted in further smoothing, and a rise in the magnetoresistance ratio to 72%, and a much weaker dependence of the parallel state resistance upon voltage bias, indicating the development of ( 0 0 1 ) crystallographic texture in the electrodes. Annealing to 325 ∘ C yielded a further decrease in magnetic interface width (the quadrature sum of roughness and intermixing length scales). The reduction in interface width for Co species occurred at higher temperatures than for Fe throughout the experiments.

We present a time and element-resolved measurement of magnetization dynamics during ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) in a single layer of Ni 81 Fe 19 . Small-angle ( 1 ∘ ) precession of elemental Ni, Fe moments could be measured directly and quantitatively using time-resolved X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) in transmission. The high temporal and rotational sensitivity of this technique has allowed quantification of the phase and amplitude of driven FMR motion at 2.3 GHz, verifying basic expectations for a driven resonance.

Fe ions were implanted into well-aligned single-crystal ZnO nanotips grown on SiO2/quartz substrates using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The Fe ion concentration distribution within a single nanotip is mapped by electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and the nanotips imaged by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM). X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) identified the presence of Fe2+ and Fe3+ ions in both as-implanted and annealed samples. However, Fe3+ ion concentration increased during postannealing. Superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) measurements show that the as-implanted and postannealed ZnO nanotips are ferromagnetic at room temperature. The observed ferromagnetism in the as-implanted nanotips is primarily attributed to the near surface 10-nm region that has high Fe concentration. The saturation magnetization reduces after annealing.

Discovering new antiferromagnetic compounds is at the forefront of developing future spintronic devices without fringing magnetic fields. The antiferromagnetic gapless semiconducting D03 phase of V3Al was successfully synthesized via arc-melting and annealing. The antiferromagnetic properties were established through synchrotron measurements of the atom-specific magnetic moments, where the magnetic dichroism reveals large and oppositely-oriented moments on individual V atoms. Density functional theory calculations confirmed the stability of a type G antiferromagnetism involving only two-third of the V atoms, while the remaining V atoms are nonmagnetic. Magnetization, x-ray diffraction and transport measurements also support the antiferromagnetism. This archetypal gapless semiconductor may be considered as a cornerstone for future spintronic devices containing antiferromagnetic elements., Comment: Accepted to Physics Review B on 02/23/15

Epitaxial ZnO films of ∼450 nm thicknesses were grown by MOCVD on r-sapphire and doped by implantation of 200 keV Mn ions to a dose of 5 × 1016 ions/cm2. The structural, chemical, and magnetic properties of the films were investigated with X-ray diffraction (XRD), Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and SQUID magnetometry. XRD and RBS show both Mn-doped ZnO and pure ZnO epitaxial layers in the as-implanted film, which is ferromagnetic at 5 K but nonmagnetic at room temperature. For the as-implanted materials, only Mn2+ ions are observed with XAS. Post-implantation annealing partially recovers the lattice damage and redistributes Mn into the entire ZnO film; in addition, Mn2+ ions are converted to a mixture of Mn3+ and Mn4+, and ferromagnetism is now observed above 300 K. Our results show that ion implantation is a viable route for achieving room temperature ferromagnetism in epitaxial ZnO films. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

O1s and Mn2p near-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy on La1-xSr1+xMnO4 (0 ≤x ≤0.5) single crystals shows that Sr doping does not only provide holes to the system but also induces a continuous transfer of electrons from out-of-plane d3z2-r2 to in-plane d3x2-r2/d3y2-r2 orbitals. Furthermore, a non-vanishing electron occupation of in-plane dx2-y2 and out-of-plane d3z2-r2 orbitals is observed up to relatively high doping contents. These findings demonstrate that the energy difference between all these orbital types has to be very small and manifest that the orbital degree of freedom is determined not just by crystal field effects but also by orbital coupling. Moreover, the doping-dependent transfer of spectral weight observed in the current data identifies La1-xSr1+xMnO4 as a charge-transfer insulator.

Mixed oxide interfaces are critical for delivering active components of demanding catalytic processes such as the photocatalytic splitting of water. We have studied CeOx–TiO2 catalysts with low ceria loadings of 1, 3, and 6 wt % that were prepared with wet impregnation methods to favor a strong interaction between CeOx and TiO2. In these materials the interfaces between CeOx–TiO2 have been sequentially loaded (1%, 3%, and 6%), with and without Pt (0.5 wt %). The structure and properties of the catalysts were characterized using several X-ray and electron based techniques including XRD, XPS, UPS, NEXAFS, UV–vis, and HR-STEM/STEM-EELS to unravel the local morphology, bulk structure, surface states, and electronic structure. The combination of all these techniques allows us to analyze in a systematic way the complete structural and electronic properties that prevail at the CeOx–TiO2 interface. Fluorite structured nanocrystallites of ceria on anatase-structured titania were identified by both XRD and NEXAFS. A sequential increase of the CeOx loading led to the formation of clusters, then plates, and finally nanoparticles in a hierarchical manner on the TiO2 support. The electronic structures of these catalysts indicate that the interaction between TiO2 and CeO2 is closely related to the local morphology of nanostructured CeO2. Ce3+ cations were detected at the surface of CeO2 and at the interface of the two oxides. In addition, the titania is perturbed by the interaction with ceria and also with Pt. The photocatalytic activity for the splitting of H2O using UV light was measured for these materials and correlated with our understanding of the electronic and structural properties. Optimal catalytic performance and photoresponse results were found for the 1 wt % CeOx–TiO2 catalyst where low dimensional geometry of the ceria provided ideal electronic and geometrical properties. The structural and electronic properties of the interface were critical for the photocatalytic performance of this mixed-oxide nanocatalyst system., The research carried out in this manuscript was performed at Brookhaven National Laboratory, supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, and Catalysis Science Program under Contract DE-SC0012704. L.B. also acknowledges financial support from the JAE-CSIC grant program

The magnetic, transport, and electronic properties of ultrathin epitaxial ${\mathrm{La}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{x}\mathrm{Mn}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ (LSMO) films at near half doping ($x=0.47$, 0.50, and 0.55), grown under different misfit strains on $\mathrm{Sr}\mathrm{Ti}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$(001) and ${\mathrm{La}}_{0.18}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{0.82}{\mathrm{Al}}_{0.59}{\mathrm{Ta}}_{0.41}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$(001) (LSAT) substrates, are investigated. We find that all films exhibit metallic behavior below the magnetic critical temperature, while the magnetic properties change markedly with both doping and strain. However, while increased doping favors antiferromagnetic ordering, strain is the driving mechanism for the change in the magnetic properties, where with increasing tensile strain the magnetic ground state changes from ferromagnetic to antiferromagnetic at a critical lattice misfit threshold of about \ensuremath{-}1%. The bulk magnetometry data are confirmed by x-ray magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopy, while x-ray magnetic linear dichroism measured at room temperature demonstrates a progressive change in the orbital occupancy with increasing misfit strain from out of plane to in-plane, leading to a preferred antiferromagnetic metallic state at larger tensile strains.

A series of manganese ferrite thin film samples were prepared by alternating target laser ablation deposition and conventional pulsed laser deposition techniques on (111) MgO substrates. By extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) analysis, we have discovered that the cation distribution was sensitive to the processing oxygen pressure and the preparation technique. Correspondingly, the saturation magnetization and uniaxial anisotropy fields change. Saturation magnetization was found to decrease while the percentage of Mn ions on the octahedral site increased, as a function of oxygen processing pressure. The highest magnetization (~4.5 kG) and anisotropy field (~0.5 kOe) corresponded to the sample grown at the lowest oxygen pressure

To address the amount of disorder and interface diffusion induced by annealing, all-Heusler multilayer structures, consisting of ferromagnetic Co2MnGe and nonmagnetic Rh2CuSn layers of varying thicknesses, have been investigated by means of hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism. We find evidence for a 4 angstrom thick magnetically dead layer that, together with the identified interlayer diffusion, are likely reasons for the unexpectedly small magnetoresistance found for current-perpendicular-to-plane giant magnetoresistance devices based on this all-Heusler system. We find that diffusion begins already at comparably low temperatures between 200 and 250 degrees C, where Mn appears to be most prone to diffusion.

The transition between Kondo and Coulomb blockade effects in discontinuous double magnetic tunnel junctions is explored as a function of the size of the CoPt magnetic clusters embedded between AlO${}_{x}$ tunnel barriers. A gradual competition between cotunneling enhancement of the tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) and the TMR suppression due to the Kondo effect has been found in these junctions, with both effects having been found to coexist even in the same sample. It is possible to tune between these two states with temperature (at a temperature far below the cluster blocking temperature). In addition, when further decreasing the size of the CoPt clusters, another gradual transition between the Kondo effect and direct tunneling between the electrodes takes place. This second transition shows that the spin-flip processes found in junctions with impurities in the barrier are in fact due to the Kondo effect. A simple theoretical model able to account for these experimental results is proposed.

The magnetic properties of iron-doped cobalt ferrite (Co${}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$Fe${}_{2+x}$O${}_{4}$) (001) thin films grown epitaxially on MgO (001) substrates are investigated by superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry and soft x-ray magnetic linear and circular dichroisms. All Co${}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$Fe${}_{2+x}$O${}_{4}$ (0.01 \ensuremath{\leqslant} $x$ \ensuremath{\leqslant} 0.63) samples have out-of-plane magnetic easy axes and large coercive fields, unlike Fe${}_{3}$O${}_{4}$, due to a large Co${}^{2+}$ orbital moment. The magnetic moments for those samples are significantly reduced from their bulk values; however, as $x$ increases, the magnetic moments tend nearer to their bulk values and increase more rapidly as $x$ approaches 1. This reduction in magnetic moment is attributed to spin canting among the Co${}^{2+}$ cations, owing to a small in-plane tensile strain in the film and to an increased antiferromagnetic alignment among all the cations caused by a partially inverse spinel cubic structure and the likely presence of antiphase boundaries. Our results show that small changes in stoichiometry can lead to significant changes in the magnetic moment of Co${}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$Fe${}_{2+x}$O${}_{4}$, especially at large values of $x$.

Chromium-doped gallium sesquiselenide, Cr:Ga${}_{2}$Se${}_{3}$, is a member of a new class of dilute magnetic semiconductors exploiting intrinsic vacancies in the host material. The correlation among room-temperature ferromagnetism, surface morphology, electronic structure, chromium concentration, and local chemical and structural environments in Cr:Ga${}_{2}$Se${}_{3}$ films grown epitaxially on silicon is investigated with magnetometry, scanning tunneling microscopy, photoemission spectroscopy, and x-ray absorption spectroscopy. Inclusion of a few percent chromium in Ga${}_{2}$Se${}_{3}$ results in laminar, semiconducting films that are ferromagnetic at room temperature with a magnetic moment $\ensuremath{\geqslant}4{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}/\text{Cr}$. The intrinsic-vacancy structure of defected-zinc-blende $\ensuremath{\beta}\ensuremath{-}$Ga${}_{2}$Se${}_{3}$ enables Cr incorporation in a locally octahedral site without disrupting long-range order, determined by x-ray absorption spectroscopy, as well as strong overlap between Cr $3d$ states and the Se $4p$ states lining the intrinsic-vacancy rows, observed with photoemission. The highest magnetic moment per Cr is observed near the solubility limit of roughly one Cr per three vacancies. At higher Cr concentrations, islanded, metallic films result, with a magnetic moment that depends strongly on surface morphology. The effective valence is Cr${}^{3+}$ in laminar films, with introduction of Cr${}^{0}$ upon islanding. A mechanism is proposed for laminar films whereby ordered intrinsic vacancies mediate ferromagnetism.

The electronic, magnetic and transport properties of iron-doped cobalt ferrite (Co{sub 1-x}Fe{sub 2+x}O{sub 4}) thin films grown epitaxially on MgO (001) substrates are investigated by soft x-ray absorption and photoelectron spectroscopy, ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry, and resistivity measurements. The crystal structure for Co{sub 1-x}Fe{sub 2+x}O{sub 4} is determined to be nearly inverse spinel, with the degree of inversion increasing for increased doping until it becomes fully inverse spinel for Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}. The doped iron cations have a valency of 2+ and reside solely on octahedral sites, which allows for conduction owing to hopping between Fe{sup 2+} and Fe{sup 3+} octahedral cations. The addition of Fe{sup 2+} cations increases the electron density of states near the Fermi energy, shifting the Fermi level from 0.75 to 0 eV with respect to the top of the valence band, as the doping increases from x = 0.01 to 1. This change in electronic structure results in a change in resistivity by over two orders of magnitude. In contrast, the magnetic properties of CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} thin films, characterized by a significantly reduced saturation magnetization compared to the bulk and large magnetic anisotropies, are affected less significantly by doping inmore » the range from 0 to 0.63. These results show that Co{sub 1-x}Fe{sub 2+x}O{sub 4} has tunable electronic properties while maintaining magnetic properties similar to CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}.« less

Temperature and bias voltage-dependent transport characteristics are presented for double magnetic tunnel junctions (DMTJs) with self-assembled NiFe nanoparticles embedded between insulating alumina barriers. The junctions with embedded nanoparticles are compared to junctions with a single barrier of comparable size and growth conditions. The embedded particles are characterized using x-ray absorption spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and magnetometry techniques, showing that they are unoxidized and remain superparamagnetic to liquid helium temperatures. The tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) for the DMTJs is lower than the control samples, however, for the DMTJs an enhancement in TMR is seen in the Coulomb blockade region. Fitting the transport data in this region supports the theory that cotunneling is the dominant electron transport process within the Coulomb blockade region, sequential tunneling being suppressed. We therefore see an enhanced TMR attributed to the change in the tunneling process due to the interplay of the Coulomb blockade and spin-dependent tunneling through superparamagnetic nanoparticles, and develop a simple model to quantify the effect, based on the fact that our nanoparticles will appear blocked when measured on femtosecond tunneling time scales.

Using the surface, interface, and element specificity of x-ray resonant magnetic scattering in combination with x-ray magnetic circular dichroism, we have spatially resolved the magnetic spin polarization, and the associated interface proximity effect, in a Mn-based high-susceptibility material close to a ferromagnetic Co layer. We have measured the magnetic polarization of Mn and Cu 3d electrons in paramagnetic CuMn alloy layers in [Co/Cu(x)/CuMn/Cu(x)](20) multilayer samples with varying copper layer thicknesses from x=0 to 25 angstrom. The size of the Mn and Cu L-2,L-3 edge dichroism shows a decrease in the Mn-induced polarization for increasing copper thickness indicating the dominant interfacial nature of the Cu and Mn spin polarization. The Mn polarization is much higher than that of Cu. Evidently, the Mn moment is a useful probe of the local spin density. Mn atoms appear to be coupled antiferromagnetically with the Co layer below x=10 angstrom and ferromagnetically coupled above. In contrast, the interfacial Cu atoms remain ferromagnetically aligned to the Co layer for all thicknesses studied.

The nanoscale magnetic structure of FeRh epilayers has been studied by polarized neutron reflectometry. Epitaxial films with a nominal thickness of 500 angstrom were grown on MgO (001) substrates via molecular-beam epitaxy and capped with 20 angstrom of MgO. The FeRh films show a clear transition from the antiferromagnetic (AF) state to the ferromagnetic (FM) state with increasing temperature. Surprisingly the films possess a FM moment even at a temperature 80 K below the AF-FM transition temperature of the film. We have quantified the magnitude and spatial extent of this FM moment, which is confined to within similar to 60-80 angstrom of the FeRh near the top and bottom interfaces. These interfacial FM layers account for the unusual effects previously observed in films with thickness

The effect of the application of a magnetic field during deposition of epitaxial Co{sub 70}Fe{sub 30} onto GaAs(001) is shown; we find an initially counterintuitive result. For field applied along the interfacial uniaxial hard axis the relative effective uniaxial magnetic anisotropy is increased by a factor of two in comparison to both field along the uniaxial easy axis, or no field; usually, application of a deposition field results in a uniaxial easy axis parallel to this field direction. We show that the deposition field changes the maximal projection of the atomic orbital magnetic moments onto the easy axis, which corresponds to a deposition field induced shift in the Helmholtz free-energy landscape of the system.

Oxygen $1s$ near-edge x-ray absorption spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction investigations on ${\mathrm{La}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{1+x}\mathrm{Mn}{\mathrm{O}}_{4}$ $(0\ensuremath{\leqslant}x\ensuremath{\leqslant}0.5)$ single crystals evidence a doping- and temperature-dependent redistribution of ${e}_{g}$ electrons between ${d}_{3{z}^{2}\ensuremath{-}{r}^{2}}$, ${d}_{{x}^{2}\ensuremath{-}{y}^{2}}$, and ${d}_{3{x}^{2}\ensuremath{-}{r}^{2}}∕{d}_{3{y}^{2}\ensuremath{-}{r}^{2}}$ orbitals: For undoped $\mathrm{La}\mathrm{Sr}\mathrm{Mn}{\mathrm{O}}_{4}$ the ${e}_{g}$ electrons predominantly reside on ${d}_{3{z}^{2}\ensuremath{-}{r}^{2}}$ orbitals, nevertheless a small amount of charge carriers is found on in-plane ${d}_{{x}^{2}\ensuremath{-}{y}^{2}}$ orbitals. These in-plane electrons are gradually transferred to the ${d}_{3{z}^{2}\ensuremath{-}{r}^{2}}$ states upon cooling. Sr doping, however, does not only provide holes to the system but also induces a continuous transfer of electrons from ${d}_{3{z}^{2}\ensuremath{-}{r}^{2}}$ to ${d}_{3{x}^{2}\ensuremath{-}{r}^{2}}∕{d}_{3{y}^{2}\ensuremath{-}{r}^{2}}$ orbitals and, finally long-range charge-exchange-type orbital ordering develops for ${\mathrm{La}}_{0.5}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{1.5}\mathrm{Mn}{\mathrm{O}}_{4}$ below $T\ensuremath{\leqslant}225\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$. The data indicate a short-range orbital ordering for the intermediate doping range.

We demonstrate a layer- and time-resolved measurement of ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) in a Ni81Fe19 / Cu / Co93Zr7 trilayer structure. Time-resolved x-ray magnetic circular dichroism has been developed in transmission, with resonant field excitation at a FMR frequency of 2.3 GHz. Small-angle (to 0.2 degree), time-domain magnetization precession could be observed directly, and resolved to individual layers through elemental contrast at Ni, Fe, and Co edges. The phase sensitivity allowed direct measurement of relative phase lags in the precession oscillations of individual elements and layers. A weak ferromagnetic coupling, difficult to ascertain in conventional FMR measurements, is revealed in the phase and amplitude response of individual layers across resonance., 22 pages, 6 figures submitted to Physical Review B

International audience; We have carried out resonant magnetic x-ray scattering from Co/ Ru multilayers with weak antiferromagnetic coupling. We have measured hysteresis loops at different points in reciprocal space ͑specular or diffuse, integer or half-order peaks͒, which reveal a rich variety of different shapes. These arise from different degrees of mixing of the scattering arising from the field dependence of the order parameters describing the degree of ferromagnetic, antiferromagnetic correlations in the sample, with the off-specular measurements giving information about their lateral extent. We make a comparison with macroscopic measurements that give information about the degree of different forms of magnetic order averaged over the whole sample in real space.

We demonstrate an element-specific measurement of magnetization precession in a metallic ferromagnetic alloy, separating Ni and Fe moment motion in Ni81Fe19. Pump-probe X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD), synchronized with short magnetic field pulses, is used to measure free magnetization oscillations up to 2.6 GHz with elemental specificity and a rotational resolution of < 2 deg. Magnetic moments residing on Ni sites and Fe sites in a Ni81Fe19(50nm) thin film are found to precess together at all frequencies, coupled in phase within instrumental resolution of 90 ps., see http://magnet.ap.columbia.edu/pubs for related work

Nanoislands of ??-FeRh were formed by the deposition of a 10?nm film onto (0?0?1)-MgO and observed by atomic force microscopy. This island-like architecture results in stabilized ferromagnetic (FM) ordering at low temperatures as noted by asymmetry in the x-ray diffraction peaks, a magnetostructural transition with a large magnetic background signal, and broad thermal hysteresis. The combination of structural and magnetic results suggest that the crystallographic arrangement of the FeRh nanoislands consists of a gradient of lattice parameters where there is a compressed inner region of lower lattice parameter values (attributed to antiferromagnetic ordering) which gradually relaxes outward to a region of larger lattice parameters (attributed to a retained FM ordering). The impact of this configuration on magnetostructural transformation is discussed in the context of classical nucleation theory.

The polar discontinuity which can occur at oxide interfaces can modify the properties of oxide thin films. In such a system, an unusual reversed orientation of the remanent magnetic state was observed recently for La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 on Nb-doped SrTiO3(0 0 1) deposited via pulsed laser deposition (Lee et al 2010 Phys. Rev. Lett. 105 257204). Here, we report on a similar effect for La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 grown via molecular beam epitaxy, a deposition method with different growth kinetics, onto both Nb-doped and undoped SrTiO3 (STO) substrates. The reversed magnetic state occurred in both samples, while enriched Mn3+ regions (intermediate layer) are slightly different. Intriguingly, the onset of the reversed remanent state occurred at different temperatures: ∼125 K for the Nb : STO substrate and ∼240 K for the undoped STO substrate. Our results point to an additional mechanism for controlling the magnetism in mixed-valence oxide films.

To improve the lifetime and yield of LCOS microdisplays, non-contact LC alignment techniques using inorganic materials are under investigation. This report focuses on oblique ion-beam treatment of diamond-like carbon (DLC) layers, and in particular on the influence of the ion dose on the LC alignment on DLC, keeping the ion-beam angle (40 degrees) and ion-beam energy (170 eV) the same. LC alignment on ion-milled DLC layers is uniform if the ion dose is between 3.8 x 10{sup -4} C/cm{sup 2} and 5.5x10{sup -3} C/cm{sup 2}. Above and below this ion dose range, non-uniform alignment is observed. NEXAFS experiments show that this is caused by lack of molecular anisotropy on the surface of the ion-milled DLC layers. By varying the ion dose between 3.8 x 10{sup -4} C/cm{sup 2} and 5.5 x 10{sup -3} C/cm{sup 2}, LC molecules have an average pre-tilt between 3 and 5 degrees, which is within the desired range for application in LCOS microdisplays. The lifetime of the LCOS microdisplays with ion-milled DLC for projection-TV application is, however, shorter than the lifetime of microdisplays with PI layers. Ion milling probably creates a reactive surface that is unstable under the high light fluxes used in projection TVs. Amore » solution for this problem could be chemical passivation of the ion-milled alignment layers. Initial experiments with passivation of ion-milled PI resulted in an increase in lifetime, but the lifetime after passivation was still lower than the lifetime of rubbed PI layers (factor 0.7). Nevertheless, ion-milling of DLC or PI can be a good alternative LC alignment technique in other LCD applications. LC-alignment layers based on inorganic layers such as obliquely deposited SiO{sub 2} films would be a better option for application in LCOS microdisplays due to their higher light stability.« less