Growth and magnetic domain structure of ultrathin Fe films on Rh(001)

Jeannette Kemmer, Stefan Wilfert, Jens Kügel, Tobias Mauerer, Pin-Jui Hsu, and Matthias Bode
Phys. Rev. B 91, 184412 – Published 20 May 2015

Abstract

The growth and magnetic domain structure of ultrathin Fe films epitaxially grown on face-centered cubic (fcc) Rh(001) is investigated by spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy (SP-STM) at low temperatures (T=5.5K). Our results indicate that the cleaning procedure applied to the Rh(001) substrate plays an important role for the formation of a clean and well-ordered Fe film. The Fe monolayer exhibits an out-of-plane antiferromagnetic c(2×2) spin structure. Islands of the second Fe layer are found to be out-of-plane ferromagnetic. Coalescence of the double-layer islands results in the formation of larger domains, which extend over several hundred nanometers for a closed two layer film. Further increasing the Fe coverage leads to a reduction of the domain size and the formation of patterns that are reminiscent of stripe domains driven by the competition of surface/interface and shape anisotropy.

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  • Received 26 March 2015
  • Revised 6 May 2015

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.91.184412

©2015 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Jeannette Kemmer1,*, Stefan Wilfert1, Jens Kügel1, Tobias Mauerer1, Pin-Jui Hsu1,†, and Matthias Bode1,2

  • 1Physikalisches Institut, Lehrstuhl für Experimentelle Physik 2, Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
  • 2Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen-Research Center for Complex Material Systems (RCCM), Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany

  • *Corresponding author: jeannette.kemmer@physik.uni-wuerzburg.de
  • Present address: Institute of Applied Physics and Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center Hamburg, University of Hamburg, 20355 Hamburg, Germany.

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Vol. 91, Iss. 18 — 1 May 2015

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