corner
corner
APS » Journals » Phys. Rev. Lett. » Volume 87 » Issue 24
< Previous Article | Next Article >

Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 247201 (2001) [4 pages]

Spectroscopic Identification and Direct Imaging of Interfacial Magnetic Spins

Download: PDF (169 kB) Buy this article Export: BibTeX or EndNote (RIS)

H. Ohldag1,2,5, T. J. Regan3, J. Stöhr1, A. Scholl2, F. Nolting1,2, J. Lüning1, C. Stamm1, S. Anders2, and R. L. White4
1Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, P.O. Box 20450 Stanford, California 94309
2Advanced Light Source, 1 Cyclotron Road, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720
3Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305
4Materials Science and Engineering Department, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305
5Institut für Angewandte Physik, Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätsstrasse 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany

Received 26 June 2001; published 27 November 2001

See accompanying Physics Focus

Using x-ray absorption spectromicroscopy we have imaged the uncompensated spins induced at the surface of antiferromagnetic (AFM) NiO(100) by deposition of ferromagnetic (FM) Co. These spins align parallel to the AFM spins in NiO(100) and align the FM spins in Co. The uncompensated interfacial spins arise from an ultrathin CoNiOx layer that is formed upon Co deposition through reduction of the NiO surface. The interfacial Ni spins are discussed in terms of the “uncompensated spins” at AFM/FM interfaces long held responsible for coercivity increases and exchange bias. We find a direct correlation between their number and the size of the coercivity.

© 2001 The American Physical Society

URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.87.247201
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevLett.87.247201
PACS:
75.70.Rf, 75.50.Ee, 78.20.Ls
 
< Previous Article | Next Article >