AVS 49th International Symposium
    Magnetic Interfaces and Nanostructures Thursday Sessions
       Session MI+NS-ThA

Paper MI+NS-ThA1
Atomic-scale Surface Magnetic Structures of Mn@sub 3@N@sub 2@ Observed by Spin-polarized Scanning Tunneling Microscopy

Thursday, November 7, 2002, 2:00 pm, Room C-205

Session: Magnetic Imaging
Presenter: H. Yang, Ohio University
Authors: H. Yang, Ohio University
A. Smith, Ohio University
Correspondent: Click to Email
The development of spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy (SP-STM) has made possible the imaging of surface magnetic structures in real space down to the atomic scale.@footnote 1@ In this talk, we will discuss the magnetic structure of Mn@sub 3@N@sub 2@ (010) surface investigated using SP-STM with antiferromagnetic (AFM)-coated tungsten (W) tips. The Mn@sub 3@N@sub 2@ film was grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The surface structure of the film was studied in-situ. Normal STM images of Mn@sub 3@N@sub 2@ (010) obtained using W tips reveal row structures, corresponding to Mn atoms at the intersection of surface and N vacancy planes which occur every third atomic layer.@footnote 2@ By using AFM-coated W tips, we observed a modulation in the height of the rows, which is attributed to the spin-polarized effect in which the tunneling current has a component which depends on the angle between the surface and tip magnetic moments. The row modulation implies that the Mn moments are ferromagnetic within a row but AFM from row to row. We show, using a new method, that it is possible to extract the magnetic component, which is proportional to the integrated local magnetization density of states.@footnote 3@ The extracted magnetic component is compared with various surface spin models, which will be discussed. This work is supported by NSF under Grant No.9983816. @FootnoteText@ @footnote 1@ S. Heinze, M. Bode, A. Kubetzka, O. Pietzsch, X. Nie, S. Blugel, and R. Wiesendanger, Science, 288, 1805 (2000).@footnote 2@ H. Yang, Hamad Al-Brithen, Arthur R. Smith, J. A. Borchers, R. L. Cappelletti, and M. D. Vaudin, Appl. Phys. Lett., 78, 3860 (2001). @footnote 3@ D. Wortmann, S. Heinze, Ph. Kurz, G. Bihlmayer, and S. Blugel. Phys. Rev. Lett., 86, 4132 (2001).