Spin-polarized Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Studies of Topological Magnetism PDF Download

Author: Jacob John Repicky
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Magnetism
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
As conventional electronics approach the physical limits of size and speed, desire for more capable and energy efficient technologies has driven studies of the individual and collective behavior of electron spins within solid state materials to achieve new forms of information processing. Recent developments in this field of spintronics have led to the discovery particle-like magnetic textures called magnetic skyrmions where spins are arranged in a swirling, vortex-like pattern. To advance the understanding of materials capable of stabilizing magnetic skyrmions and the mechanisms that govern their stability and dynamical properties, we use spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy. The research presented here builds on the connection between the physical and magnetic structure at the surface of materials. First, we observe novel surface structures and investigate the electronic and magnetic properties of Cr(001) and Fe/Ir(111), two systems that can be used to characterize the magnetic tip of the scanning tunneling microscope. Next, we detail a technique to determine the grain structure of B20-type magnetic materials FeGe and MnGe, where the structural chirality is known to determine the chirality of the magnetic textures. The surface termination, stacking order of the layered atomic lattice, and grain chirality can all be identified by analysis of the atomic corrugation and insights from density functional theory calculations. Finally, we observe novel topological spin textures at the surface of MnGe(111). The stabilization of these is correlated to structural deformation of the film, and their three-dimensional structure is deduced based on comparison of the spin-polarized imaging with micromagnetic simulations.