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O: Fachverband Oberflächenphysik
O 50: [MA] Joint Session "Surface Magnetism I" (jointly with O)
O 50.10: Talk
Wednesday, March 28, 2012, 18:30–18:45, BH 243
SP-STM study of individual Co atoms on Pd/Co/Ir(111) — •Liudmila Dzemiantsova, André Kubetzka, Kirsten von Bergmann, and Roland Wiesendanger — Institut für Angewandte Physik, Universität Hamburg, Germany
Magnetic atoms adsorbed on nonmagnetic surfaces have become an active research topic in the last few years due to their importance in the fundamental understanding of magnetism and practical applications for spin-based computing schemes. In particular, the knowledge about the magnetic interactions on the atomic scale is crucial for the tailoring of magnetic devices in reduced dimensions and the tuning of their properties [1].
In this study we designed a system consisting of two atomic-scale magnets decoupled by a metallic layer. Magnetic monolayer Co islands on Ir(111) covered with a single atomic Pd layer were used as a substrate and a decoupling spacer, respectively. Individual Co atoms were deposited on the Pd surface and studied by spin-polarized STM (SP-STM). We observe that Pd grows in two stackings on Co/Ir(111) and gets spin-polarized by the underlying magnetic Co layer. We show that the spin polarization of the Co adatoms at the Fermi level is reversed with respect to Pd. This suggests that the spin moments of Co adatom and Co film are antiferromagnetically coupled [2] or the inversion is unique for single adsorbates on atomically flat surfaces [3].
[1] A. A. Khajetoorians et al., Science, 332, 1062 (2011).
[2] Y. Yayon et al., Phys. Rev. Lett., 99, 067202 (2007).
[3] L. Zhou et al., Phys. Rev. B, 82, 012409 (2010).