Dresden 2009 – scientific programme

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O: Fachverband Oberflächenphysik

O 13: Electronic structure II

O 13.3: Talk

Monday, March 23, 2009, 15:30–15:45, SCH A216

Modulated spin polarization in nanostructures — •Sebastian Wedekind, Hirofumi Oka, Guillemin Rodary, Dirk Sander, and Jürgen Kirschner — Max-Planck-Institut für Mikrostrukturphysik, Weinberg 2, D-06120 Halle(Saale)

Deposition of 0.7 ML Co onto the clean Cu(111) surface at room temperature leads to the formation of triangular two atomic layers high Co islands. We study the electronic properties of these nano islands by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy (STS) at 7 K. We observe pronounced spatial modulation patterns in the local density of states (LDOS) within the islands due to electron confinement. We explore the magnetic properties of the very same islands by spin-polarized STM and STS in a magnetic field of up to 4 T. Our spin-polarized measurements in field clearly identify the parallel and anti-parallel spin orientation states of tip and sample [1]. This enables us to measure the spatial distribution of the spin polarization within single Co islands. We find that the spin polarization is spatially modulated. Our results are discussed in view of recent theoretical predictions [2].

[1] G. Rodary, S. Wedekind, D. Sander, and J. Kirschner, JJAP (in press)

[2] L. Niebergall, V. S. Stepanyuk, J. Berakdar, and P. Bruno, PRL 96, 127204 (2006)