Changes of morphology, structure, and magnetism of Fe on stepped Cu(111)

Author

Klaua, M. ; Shen, J. ; Ohresser, Ph. ; Jenniches, H. ; Barthel, J. ; Mohan, Ch.V. ; Kirschner, J.

Author_Institution

Max-Planck-Inst. fur Mikrostrukturphys., Halle, Germany

Volume

34

Issue

4

fYear

1998

fDate

7/1/1998 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

1216

Lastpage

1218

Abstract

We have studied the morphology, structure and magnetism of Fe films thermally deposited on stepped Cu(111) by scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM), low energy electron diffraction (LEED) and magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE). At room temperature, in the submonolayer range Fe films grow as quasi one-dimensional stripes along the upper step edges due to a strong decoration effect. Between 1.4 and 1.8 monolayer coverage the stripes percolate and become two-dimensional films. Between 2.3 and 2.7 monolayer coverage the films undergo a structural transition from fcc(111) to bcc(110) with Kurdjumov-Sachs orientation. In the fcc range the films have a low net magnetic moment, and a perpendicular easy magnetization axis. The magnetization switches to an in-plane high-moment phase correlated with the fcc to bcc structural transformation

Keywords

Kerr magneto-optical effect; copper; ferromagnetic materials; interface structure; iron; low energy electron diffraction; magnetic thin films; perpendicular magnetic anisotropy; scanning tunnelling microscopy; solid-state phase transformations; surface topography; Cu; Fe; Fe films; Fe on stepped Cu(111); Kurdjumov-Sachs orientation; fcc(111) to bcc(110); in-plane high-moment phase; low energy electron diffraction; magnetism; magneto-optical Kerr effect; morphology; perpendicular easy magnetization axis; quasi one-dimensional stripes; scanning tunnelling microscopy; strong decoration effect; structural transition; structure; two-dimensional films; Diffraction; Iron; Kerr effect; Magnetic films; Magnetic force microscopy; Magnetization; Magnetooptic effects; Morphology; Scanning electron microscopy; Tunneling;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Magnetics, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9464

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/20.706500

Filename

706500