Temperature dependence of the hyperfine field and magnetization in ultrathin epitaxial Fe films

Asymmetric alloy formation at the Fe-on-Ti and Ti-on-Fe interfaces

The Fe-on-Ti and Ti-on-Fe interfaces were studied experimentally by Mössbauer spectroscopy (MS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and x-ray reflectometry (XRR) on Ti/Fe/Ti trilayers grown on Si(1 1 1) substrates by vacuum evaporation. The nanoscale structure and composition were explored in cross sections using TEM, the layer structure and the interface widths by specular x-ray reflectometry. MS was applied to identify the interface alloy phases and to determine the pure and alloyed Fe layer fractions. The experimental results were compared with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of layer growth on Fe or Ti underlayers of different orientations. The concentration distributions provided by MD simulations show an asymmetry at the interfaces in the layer growth direction. The transition is atomically sharp at the Ti-on-Fe interface for the (0 0 1) and (1 1 0) crystallographic orientations of the Fe underlayer, while it spreads over a few atomic layers for Fe(1 1 1) underlayer and for all studied Ti underlayer orientations at the Fe-on-Ti interface. MS and XRR data on Ti/Fe/Ti trilayers confirm the asymmetry between the bottom and top Fe interface, but the inferred interface widths considerable exceed those deduced from the MD simulations.

Magnetic Order and Structure of Ultrathin Films and Multilayers

Ultrathin epitaxial films grown in UHV – Fe(110) on Au(111) and Ag(111), Co(0001) on Au(111) – , sputtered Fe films between Ag and sputtered Fe/Au multilayers were studied by SQUID magnetometry and Mössbauer spectroscopy (CEMS). It could be shown that the magnetic anisotropy relative to the film normal, the, ground state magnetic moment per Fe atom and thermal spin excitations are affected by the structure of the films. In particular, a more 3-dimensional growth mode in the early state of film formation which is observed except in a certain temperature range around 300 K reduces the apparent magnetic interface anisotropy and the ferromagnetic ground state moment, and it enhances the thermal spin fluctuations and the tendency for superparamagnetic relaxation in the thinnest films.

MAGNETISM AND LATTICE DYNAMICS OF NANOSCALE STRUCTURES STUDIED BY NUCLEAR RESONANT SCATTERING OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION

Nuclear resonant scattering of synchrotron radiation is applied to investigate the magnetic structure and the lattice dynamics of nanoscale systems. The outstanding brilliance of modern synchrotron radiation sources allows for sensitivities to smallest amounts of material. Due to the isotopic sensitivity of the scattering process, ultrathin probe layers of Mössbauer isotopes can be used to map out the magnetic and vibrational structure of thin films with sub-nm spatial resolution. Elastic nuclear resonant scattering is applied to determine the magnetic spin structure of an exchange-coupled bilayer system. Inelastic nuclear resonant scattering was used to determine the vibrational density of states in Fe islands on the W(110) surface.

Imaging the magnetic spin structure of exchange-coupled thin films

We have investigated the magnetic spin structure of a soft-magnetic film that is exchange-coupled to a hard-magnetic layer to form an exchange-spring layer system. The depth dependence of the magnetization direction was determined by nuclear resonant scattering of synchrotron radiation from ultrathin 57Fe probe layers. In an external field a magnetic spiral structure forms that can be described within a one-dimensional micromagnetical model. The experimental method allows one to image vertical spin structures in stratified media with unprecedented accuracy.