Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-p566r Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-28T22:37:26.241Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Magnetic imaging with spin-polarized low-energy electron microscopy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2010

N. Rougemaille*
Affiliation:
Institut Néel, CNRS & Université Joseph Fourier, BP 166, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
A. K. Schmid
Affiliation:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
Get access

Abstract

Spin-polarized low-energy electron microscopy (SPLEEM) is a technique for imaging magnetic microstructures at surfaces and in thin films. In this article, principles, advantages and limitations of SPLEEM are reviewed. Several recent studies illustrate how SPLEEM can be used to investigate spin reorientation transition phenomena, to determine magnetic domain configurations in low-dimensional structures, or to explore physics of magnetic couplings in layered systems. The work highlights the capability of the technique to reveal in situ and in real time quantitative information on micromagnetic configurations and structure-property relationships. In addition, spectroscopic reflectivity measurements with spin-polarized low-energy electron beams can be a useful tool to probe spin-dependent unoccupied band structure of magnetic materials and electronic properties of buried magnetic interfaces.

Type
Review Article
Copyright
© EDP Sciences, 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

A. Hubert, R. Schäfer, Magnetic Domains: The analysis of magnetic microstructures (Springer, Berlin, 1998)
Freeman, M.R., Choi, B.C., Science 294, 1484 (2001) CrossRef
Betzig, E., Trautman, J.K., Wolfe, R., Gyorgy, E.M., Finn, P.L., Kryder, M.H., Chang, C.-H., Appl. Phys. Lett. 61, 142 (1992) CrossRef
Argyle, B.E., McCord, J.G., J. Appl. Phys. 87, 6487 (2000) CrossRef
Scheinfein, M.R., Unguris, J., Kelley, M.H., Pierce, D.T., Celotta, R.J., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 61, 2501 (1990) CrossRef
H.P. Oepen, H. Hopster, in Magnetic Microscopy of Nanostructures, edited by H. Hopster, H.P. Oepen (Springer, Berlin, 2005), pp. 137–167
McVitie, S., Chapman, J.N., Zhou, L., Heyderman, L.J., Nicholson, W.A.P., J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 148, 232 (1995) CrossRef
A.K. Petford-Long, J.N. Chapman, in Magnetic Microscopy of Nanostructures, edited by H. Hopster, H.P. Oepen (Springer, Berlin, 2005), pp. 67–86
Tonomura, A., Matsuda, T., Tanabe, H., Osakabe, N., Endo, J., Fukuhara, A., Shinagawa, K., Fujiwara, H., Phys. Rev. B 25, 6799 (1982) CrossRef
Midgley, P.A., Dunin-Borkowski, R.E., Nat. Mater. 8, 271 (2009) CrossRef
A. Thiaville, J. Miltat, J.M. García, in Magnetic Microscopy of Nanostructures, edited by H. Hopster, H.P. Oepen (Springer, Berlin, 2005), pp. 225–251
L. Abelmann, A. van den Bos, C. Lodder, in Magnetic Microscopy of Nanostructures, edited by H. Hopster, H.P. Oepen (Springer, Berlin, 2005), pp. 253–283
M. Bode, R. Wiesendanger, in Magnetic Microscopy of Nanostructures, edited by H. Hopster, H.P. Oepen (Springer, Berlin, 2005), pp. 203–223
Rippard, W.H., Buhrman, R.A., Appl. Phys. Lett. 75, 1001 (1999) CrossRef
Rippard, W.H., Buhrman, R.A., Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 971 (2000) CrossRef
Fischer, P., Denbeaux, G., Stoll, H., Puzic, A., Raabe, J., Nolting, F., Eimuller, T., Schutz, G., J. Phys. IV France 104, 471 (2003) CrossRef
Anders, S., Padmore, H.A., Duarte, R.M. et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 70, 3973 (1999) CrossRef
Warwick, T., Franck, K., Kortright, J.B., Meigs, G. et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 69, 2964 (1998) CrossRef
Raabe, J., Tzvetkov, G., Flechsig, U., Boge, M. et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 79, 113704 (2008) CrossRef
Hirjibehedin, C.F., Lin, C.-Y., Otte, A.F., Ternes, M., Lutz, C.P., Jones, B.A., Heinrich, A.J., Science 317, 1199 (2007) CrossRef
Heinze, S., Bode, M., Kubetzka, A., Pietzsch, O., Nie, X., Blügel, S., Wiesendanger, R., Science 288, 1805 (2000) CrossRef
B. Hillebrands, K. Ounadjela (eds.), Spin Dynamics in Confined Magnetic Structures I, in Topics in Applied Physics, volume 83 (Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 2002)
Kuch, W., Vogel, J., Camarero, J., Fukumoto, K., Pennec, Y., Pizzini, S., Bonfim, M., Kirschner, J., Appl. Phys. Lett. 85, 440 (2004) CrossRef
Vogel, J., Kuch, W., Camarero, J., Fukumoto, K., Pennec, Y., Bonfim, M., Pizzini, S., Petroff, F., Fontaine, A., Kirschner, J., J. Appl. Phys. 95, 6533 (2004) CrossRef
Vansteenkiste, A., Chou, K.W., Weigand, M., Curcic, M. et al., Nat. Phys. 5, 332 (2009) CrossRef
Cheynis, F., Masseboeuf, A., Fruchart, O., Rougemaille, N., Toussaint, J.-C., Belkhou, R., Bayle-Guillemaud, P., Marty, A., Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 107201 (2009) CrossRef
Junginger, F., Kläui, M., Backes, D., Rüdiger, U., Kasama, T., Dunin-Borkowski, R.E., Heyderman, L.J., Appl. Phys. Lett. 90, 132506 (2007) CrossRef
P.-O. Jubert, M. Kläui, A. Bischof, J. Appl. Phys. 99, 08G523 (2006)
Telieps, W., Bauer, E., Ultramicroscopy 17, 57 (1985) CrossRef
Telieps, W., Bauer, E., Surf. Sci. 162, 163 (1985) CrossRef
Altman, M.S., Pinkvos, H., Hurst, J., Poppa, H., Marx, H., Bauer, E., Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 232, 125 (1991) CrossRef
Pinkvos, H., Poppa, H., Bauer, E., Hurst, J., Ultramicroscopy 47, 339 (1992) CrossRef
Duden, T., Bauer, E., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 66, 2861 (1995) CrossRef
Grzelakowski, K., Bauer, E., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 67, 742 (1996) CrossRef
Elmitec Elektronenmikroskopie GmbH, Germany, http://www.elmitec-gmbh.com
Yamamoto, N., Nakanishi, T., Mano, A., Nakagawa, Y. et al., J. Appl. Phys. 103, 064905 (2008) CrossRef
Suzuki, M., Hashimoto, M., Yasue, T., Koshikawa, T. et al., Appl. Phys. Express 3, 026601 (2010) CrossRef
E. Bauer, in Magnetic Microscopy of Nanostructures, edited by H. Hopster, H.P. Oepen (Springer, Berlin, 2005), pp. 111–136
E. Bauer, in Modern Techniques for Characterizing Magnetic Materials, edited by Y. Zhu (Kluwer, Boston, 2005), pp. 361–382
Altman, M.S., J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 22, 084017 (2010)
Scheunemann, T., Feder, R., Henk, J., Bauer, E., Duden, T., Pinkvos, H., Poppa, H., Wurm, K., Solid State Commun. 104, 787 (1997) CrossRef
Duden, T., Zdyb, R., Altman, M., Bauer, E., Surf. Sci. 480, 145 (2001) CrossRef
Santos, B., Loginova, E., Mascaraque, A., Schmid, A.K., McCarty, K.F., de la Figuera, J., J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 21, 314011 (2009)
Altman, M.S., Pinkvos, H., Bauer, E., J. Magn. Soc. Jpn 19, 129 (1995) CrossRef
Bauer, E., Duden, T., Pinkvos, H., Poppa, H., Wurm, K., J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 156, 1 (1996) CrossRef
Bauer, E., Duden, T., Zdyb, R., J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 35, 2327 (2002) CrossRef
Bauer, E., Belkhou, R., Cherifi, S., Hertel, R., Heun, S., Locatelli, A., Pavlovska, A., Zdyb, R., Agarwal, N., Wang, H., Surf. Interface Anal. 38, 1622 (2006) CrossRef
Biagioni, P., Brambilla, A., Portalupi, M., Rougemaille, N., Schmid, A.K., Lanzara, A., Vavassori, P., Zani, M., Finazzi, M., Duò, L., Ciccacci, F., J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 290-291, 153 (2005) CrossRef
Brambilla, A., Biagioni, P., Rougemaille, N., Schmid, A.K., Lanzara, A., Duò, L., Ciccacci, F., Finazzi, M., Thin Solid Films 515, 712 (2006) CrossRef
Ding, H.F., Schmid, A.K., Dongqi Li, K.Yu. Guslienko, S.D. Bader, Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 157202 (2005) CrossRef
Ding, H.F., Schmid, A.K., Keavney, D.J., Dongqi Li, R. Cheng, J.E. Pearson, F.Y. Fradin, S.D. Bader, Phys. Rev. B 72, 35413 (2005) CrossRef
Choi, J., Wu, J., El Gabaly, F., Schmid, A.K., Hwang, C., Qiu, Z.Q., New J. Phys. 11, 043016 (2009) CrossRef
Duden, T., Bauer, E., Phys. Rev. Lett. 77, 2308 (1996) CrossRef
Duden, T., Bauer, E., MRS Symp. Proc. 475, 283 (1997) CrossRef
Duden, T., Bauer, E., J. Electron Microsc. 47, 379 (1998) CrossRef
Duden, T., Bauer, E., Surf. Rev. Lett. 5, 1213 (1998) CrossRef
Duden, T., Bauer, E., J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 191, 301 (1999) CrossRef
Duden, T., Bauer, E., Phys. Rev. B 59, 474 (1999) CrossRef
Duden, T., Bauer, E., Phys. Rev. B 59, 468 (1999) CrossRef
Finazzi, M., Brambilla, A., Biagioni, P., Graf, J., Gweon, G.H., Scholl, A., Lanzara, A., Duò, L., Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 097202 (2006) CrossRef
El Gabaly, F., Gallego, S., Munoz, C., Szunyogh, L., Weinberger, P., Klein, C., Schmid, A.K., McCarty, K.F., de la Figuera, J., Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 147202 (2006) CrossRef
El Gabaly, F., McCarty, K., Schmid, A.K., de la Figuera, J., Munoz, M.C., Szunyogh, L., Weinberger, P., Gallego, S., New J. Phys. 10, 073024 (2008) CrossRef
Graf, J., Jozwiak, C., Schmid, A.K., Hussain, Z., Lanzara, A., Phys. Rev. B 71, 144429 (2005) CrossRef
Grzelakowski, K., Duden, T., Bauer, E., Poppa, H., Chiang, IEEE Trans. Magn. 30, 4500 (1994) CrossRef
Klein, C., Ramchal, R., Farle, M., Schmid, A.K., Surf. Interface Anal. 38, 1550 (2006) CrossRef
Klein, C., Ramchal, R., Schmid, A.K., Farle, M., Phys. Rev. B 75, 193405 (2007) CrossRef
Man, K.L., Altman, M.S., Poppa, H., Surf. Sci. 480, 163 (2001) CrossRef
Man, K.L., Zdyb, R., Huang, S.F., Leung, T.C., Chan, C.T., Bauer, E., Altman, M.S., Phys. Rev. B 67, 184402 (2003) CrossRef
Phaneuf, R.J., Schmid, A.K., Phys. Today 56, 50 (2003) CrossRef
H. Pinkvos, H. Poppa, E. Bauer, G.-M. Kim, in Magnetism and Structure in Systems of Reduced Dimension, edited by R.F.C. Farrow, B. Dieny, M. Donath, A. Fert, B.D. Hermsmeier (Plenum Press, New York, 1993), p. 25
Poppa, H., Tober, E.D., Schmid, A.K., J. Appl. Phys. 91, 6932 (2002) CrossRef
Ramchal, R., Schmid, A.K., Farle, M., Poppa, H., Phys. Rev. B 68, 054418 (2003) CrossRef
Ramchal, R., Schmid, A.K., Farle, M., Poppa, H., Phys. Rev. B 69, 214401 (2004) CrossRef
N. Rougemaille, A.K. Schmid, J. Appl. Phys. 99, 08S502 (2006)
Rougemaille, N., Portalupi, M., Brambilla, A., Biagioni, P., Lanzara, A., Finazzi, M., Schmid, A.K., Duò, L., Phys. Rev. B 76, 214425 (2007) CrossRef
Tober, E.D., Witte, G., Poppa, H., J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 18, 1845 (2000) CrossRef
Wu, Y.Z., Schmid, A.K., Altman, M.S., Jin, X.F., Qiu, Z.Q., Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 027201 (2005) CrossRef
Wu, Y.Z., Schmid, A.K., Qiu, Z.Q., Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 217205 (2006) CrossRef
Wu, Y.Z., Qiu, Z.Q., Schmid, A.K., J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 310, 1629 (2007) CrossRef
Zdyb, R., Bauer, E., Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 166403 (2002) CrossRef
Zdyb, R., Bauer, E., Surf. Rev. Lett. 9, 1485 (2002) CrossRef
Zdyb, R., Bauer, E., Phys. Rev. B 67, 134420 (2003) CrossRef
Zdyb, R., Locatelli, A., Heun, S., Cherifi, S., Belkhou, R., Bauer, E., Surf. Interface Anal. 37, 239 (2005) CrossRef
Zdyb, R., Pavlovska, A., Jałochowski, M., Bauer, E., Surf. Sci. 600, 1586 (2006) CrossRef
Zdyb, R., Bauer, E., Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 155704 (2008) CrossRef
Zdyb, R., Pavlovska, A., Locatelli, A., Heun, S., Cherifi, S., Belkhou, R., Bauer, E., Appl. Surf. Sci. 249, 38 (2005) CrossRef
Zdyb, R., Mentes, T.O., Locatelli, A., Nino, M.A., Bauer, E., Phys. Rev. B 80, 184425 (2009) CrossRef
Zdyb, R., Pavlovska, A., Bauer, E., J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 21, 314012 (2009)
Th. Schmidt, U. Groh, R. Fink, E. Umbach et al., Surf. Rev. Lett. 9, 223 (2002) CrossRef
Wan, W., Feng, J., Padmore, H.A., Robin, D.S., Nucl. Instrum. Meth. Phys. Res. A 519, 222 (2004) CrossRef
Bauer, E., Rep. Prog. Phys. 57, 895 (1994) CrossRef
Bauer, E., J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 21, 314001 (2009)
F. Meier, B.P. Zakharchenya, Optical Orientation, Modern problems in Condensed Matter Sciences, edited by V.M. Agranovich, A.A. Maradudin (North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1984), Vol. 8
Hermann, C., Lampel, G., Ann. Phys. (Paris) 10, 1117 (1985)
Pierce, D.T., Meier, F., Zürcher, P., Appl. Phys. Lett. 26, 670 (1975) CrossRef
Yu. Mamaev, H.-J. Drouhin, G. Lampel, A. Subashiev, Yu. Yashin, A. Rochansky, J. Appl. Phys. 93, 9620 (2003) CrossRef
Seah, M.P., Dench, W.A., Ann. Phys. 1, 2 (1979)
Tanuma, S., Powell, C.J., Penn, D.R., J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 8, 2213 (1990) CrossRef
Pappas, D.P., Kämper, K.-P., Miller, B.P., Hopster, H., Fowler, D.E., Brundle, C.R., Luntz, A.C., Shen, Z.-X., Phys. Rev. Lett. 66, 504 (1991) CrossRef
Getzlaff, M., Bansmann, J., Schönhense, G., Solid State Commun. 87, 467 (1993) CrossRef
Schönhense, G., Siegmann, H.C., Ann. Phys. (Leipzig) 2, 465 (1993) CrossRef
Allenspach, R., Stampanoni, M., Bischof, A., Phys. Rev. Lett. 65, 3344 (1990) CrossRef
Speckmann, M., Oepen, H.P., Ibach, H., Phys. Rev. Lett. 75, 2035 (1995) CrossRef
Müller, S., Schulz, B., Kostka, G., Farle, M., Heinz, K., Baberschke, K., Surf. Sci. 364, 235 (1996) CrossRef
Farle, M., Rep. Prog. Phys. 61, 755 (1998) CrossRef
O'Brien, W.L., Tonner, B.P., Phys. Rev. B 49, 15370 (1994) CrossRef
Farle, M., Mirwald-Schulz, B., Anisimov, A.N., Platow, W., Baberschke, K., Phys. Rev. B 55, 3708 (1997) CrossRef
Farle, M., Platow, W., Anisimov, A.N., Poulopoulos, P., Baberschke, K., Phys. Rev. B 56, 5100 (1997) CrossRef
Jähnke, V., Güdde, J., Matthias, E., J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 237, 69 (2001) CrossRef
Each anisotropy coefficient is the sum of a volume contribution and a thickness-dependent surface contribution
Heinrich, B., Monchesky, T., Urban, R., J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 236, 339 (2001) CrossRef
Wagner, K., Weber, N., Elmers, H.J., Gradmann, U., J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 167, 21 (1997) CrossRef
Gradmann, U., Korecki, J., Waller, G., Appl. Phys. A 39, 101 (1986) CrossRef
Sander, D., Skomski, R., Enders, A., Schmidthals, C., Reuter, D., Kirschner, J., J. Phys. D 31, 663 (1998) CrossRef
Lu, L., Bansmann, J., Meiwes-Broer, K.H., J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 10, 2873 (1998)
McCarty, K.F., Hamilton, J.C., Sato, Y. et al., New J. Phys. 11, 043001 (2009) CrossRef
Gradmann, U., Waller, G., Surf. Sci. 116, 539 (1982) CrossRef
Fruchart, O., Jubert, P.-O., Eleoui, M., Cheynis, F., Borca, B., David, P., Santonacci, V., Lienard, A., Hasegawa, M., Meyer, C., J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 19, 053001 (2007)
Fruchart, O., Eleoui, M., Vogel, J., Jubert, P.-O., Locatelli, A., Ballestrazzi, A., Appl. Phys. Lett. 84, 1335 (2004) CrossRef
H.F. Ding, A.K. Schmid, K.Yu. Gueslyenko, Dongqi Li, S.D. Bader (to be published)
M.J. Donahue, D.G. Porter, OOMMF User's Guide Version 1.0 (National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, 1999)
Žutić, I., Fabian, J., Das Sarma, S., Rev. Mod. Phys. 76, 323 (2004) CrossRef
Vogel, J., Kuch, W., Hertel, R., Camarero, J. et al., Phys. Rev. B 72, 220402(R) (2005) CrossRef
Hehn, M., Lacour, D., Montaigne, F., Briones, J., Belkhou, R., El Moussaoui, S., Maccherozzi, F., Rougemaille, N., Appl. Phys. Lett. 92, 072501 (2008) CrossRef
Duò, L., Portalupi, M., Marcon, M., Bertacco, R., Ciccacci, F., Surf. Sci. 518, 234 (2002) CrossRef
Morosov, A.I., Sigov, A.S., Phys. Solid State 46, 395 (2004) CrossRef
Qiu, Z.Q., Smith, N.V., J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 14, R169 (2002)
Lässer, R., Smith, N.V., Benbow, R.L., Phys. Rev. B 24, 1895 (1981) CrossRef
Yuasa, S., Nagahama, T., Fukushima, A., Suzuki, Y., Ando, K., Nat. Mater. 3, 868 (2004) CrossRef
Parkin, S.S.P., Kaiser, C., Panchula, A., Rice, P.M., Hughes, B., Samant, M., Yang, S.H., Nat. Mater. 3, 862 (2004) CrossRef
Butler, W.H., Zhang, X.-G., Schulthess, T.C., MacLaren, J.M., Phys. Rev. B 63, 054416 (2001) CrossRef
Mathon, J., Umerski, A., Phys. Rev. B 63, 220403 (2001) CrossRef
van Gastel, R., Sikharulidze, I., Schramm, S., Abrahams, J.P., Poelsema, B., Tromp, R.M., van der Molen, S.J., Ultramicroscopy 110, 33 (2009) CrossRef