EXPLORING THE WORLD OF ARTIFICIAL MAGNETISM FROM THIN FILMS TO PATTERNED NANOSTRUCTURES AND APPLICATIONS
Carl Rau
Department of Physics & Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, TX.
Date: February 16, 2007, Time: 3:30 pm, Location: W122-D3 Engineering Building 1, The University of Houston
Abstract:
Surface, interface and bulk properties of artificially structured, new magnetic materials play a fundamental role in modern science and technology. Using extremely surface sensitive techniques, angle and energy resolved, spin polarized, ion-induced electron and Auger emission spectroscopy (SPEAES), electron capture spectroscopy (ECS) and scanning ion microscopy with polarization analysis (SIMPA), we investigate surface and interface magnetic order, short-and long-ranged magnetic order, magnetic anisotropies and critical behavior of ultra thin magnetic systems. All films are well characterized by using Auger electron spectroscopy, low and high energy electron diffraction and scanning tunneling microscopy. For several systems, surface enhanced magnetic order, 4d-ferromagnetism in two dimensions, novel surface critical behavior, dependence of the magnetic domain structure on interlayer coupling and magnetic vortex and antivortex configurations are found. Using SPEAES, we obtain fundamental, element-specific information on layer dependent electronic and magnetic properties of surfaces and interfaces. SIMPA enables us to study and fabricate in situ novel, nano-structured, 2D and 3D magnetic systems to be used for ultra-high density magnetic data storage, magnetic sensors, spin-electronic devices as well as for magnetic logic devices. SIMPA allows for detailed observations of the internal structure of magnetic domains and domain walls by providing high resolution, three-dimensional, spin-resolved maps of the orientation and magnitude of the surface magnetization.
