Dresden 2009 – scientific programme

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MA: Fachverband Magnetismus

MA 10: Magnetic Imaging

MA 10.6: Talk

Monday, March 23, 2009, 18:30–18:45, HSZ 403

Observation of spin-spiral magnetic order in the 2nd layer of Mn on W(110) — •Yasuo Yoshida, David Serrate, Andre Kubetzka, Matthias Menzel, Kirsten von Bergmann, and Roland Wiesendanger — Institute of Applied Physics, University of Hamburg, Germany

We have performed spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy (SP-STM) measurements on the 2nd layer of Mn on W(110). An in-plane magnetized tip images stripes with 2.5 nm inter-stripe distance. An out-of-plane magnetized tip shows the same stripes but the stripes shift by one-fourth of the period. These results indicate that the striped pattern is due to spin-spiral order of the 2nd layer. This spin-spiral order is close to a ferromagnetic one similar to the one observed in the 1st Mn monolayer on W(001) ¹ because the inter-stripe distance is much longer than the lattice parameter of the substrate. The spin spiral runs along the [001] direction which is perpendicular to the antiferromagnetic spin spiral axis in the 1st Mn monlayer on W(110). ² Additionally, the STM data show stripes with 1.25 nm inter-stripe distance superimposed on the spin-spiral contrast. This striped contrast stays the same by changing the tip magnetization direction, which indicates that spin-orbit coupling (SOC) is its origin. ³ This suggests that combination of SP-STM and SOC-STM is a useful technique to understand complicated magnetic and electronic properties in nano-scale structures. ¹ P. Ferriani et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 027201 (2008), ² M. Bode et al., Nature 447, 190-193 (2007), ³ M. Bode et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 237205 (2002).