Carolin Schmitz-Antoniak

Electric in-plane polarization in multiferroic CoFe2O4/BaTiO3 nanocomposite tuned by magnetic fields

Ferrimagnetic CoFe2O4 nanopillars embedded in a ferroelectric BaTiO3 matrix are an example for a two-phase magnetoelectrically coupled system. They operate at room temperature and are free of any resource-critical rare-earth element, which makes them interesting for potential applications. Prior studies succeeded in showing strain-mediated coupling between the two subsystems. In particular, the electric properties can be tuned by magnetic fields and the magnetic properties by electric fields. Here we take the analysis of the coupling to a new level utilizing soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy and its associated linear dichroism. We demonstrate that an in-plane magnetic field breaks the tetragonal symmetry of the (1,3)-type CoFe2O4/BaTiO3 structures and discuss it in terms of off-diagonal magnetostrictive-piezoelectric coupling. This coupling creates staggered in-plane components of the electric polarization, which are stable even at magnetic remanence due to hysteretic behaviour of structural changes in the BaTiO3 matrix. The competing mechanisms of clamping and relaxation effects are discussed in detail.

Iron porphyrin molecules on Cu(001): Influence of adlayers and ligands on the magnetic properties

The structural and magnetic properties of Fe octaethylporphyrin molecules on Cu(001) have been investigated by means of density functional theory (DFT) methods and x-ray absorption spectroscopy. The molecules have been adsorbed on the bare metal surface and on an oxygen-covered surface, which shows a root 2 x 2 root 2R45 degrees reconstruction. In order to allow for a direct comparison between magnetic moments obtained from sum-rule analysis and DFT, we calculate the spin dipolar term 7T (theta), which is also important in view of the magnetic anisotropy of the molecule. The measured x-ray magnetic circular dichroism shows a strong dependence on the photon incidence angle, which we could relate to a huge value of 7T (theta), e. g., on Cu(001), 7T (theta) amounts to -2.07 mu(B) for normal incidence leading to a reduction of the effective spin moment (m(s) + 7T (theta)). Calculations have also been performed to study the influence of possible ligands such as Cl and O atoms on the magnetic properties of the molecule and the interaction between molecule and surface because the experimental spectra display a clear dependence on the ligand, which is used to stabilize the molecule in the gas phase. Both types of ligands weaken the hybridization between surface and porphyrin molecule and change the magnetic spin state of the molecule, but the changes in the x-ray absorption are clearly related to residual Cl ligands.

The dipole moment of the spin density as a local indicator for phase transitions.

The intra-atomic magnetic dipole moment - frequently called 〈Tz〉 term - plays an important role in the determination of spin magnetic moments by x-ray absorption spectroscopy for systems with nonspherical spin density distributions. In this work, we present the dipole moment as a sensitive monitor to changes in the electronic structure in the vicinity of a phase transiton. In particular, we studied the dipole moment at the Fe2+ and Fe3+ sites of magnetite as an indicator for the Verwey transition by a combination of x-ray magnetic circular dichroism and density functional theory. Our experimental results prove that there exists a local change in the electronic structure at temperatures above the Verwey transition correlated to the known spin reorientation. Furthermore, it is shown that measurement of the dipole moment is a powerful tool to observe this transition in small magnetite nanoparticles for which it is usually screened by blocking effects in classical magnetometry.

Reversed ageing of Fe3O4 nanoparticles by hydrogen plasma

Magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles suffer from severe ageing effects when exposed to air even when they are dispersed in a solvent limiting their applications. In this work, we show that this ageing can be fully reversed by a hydrogen plasma treatment. By x-ray absorption spectroscopy and its associated magnetic circular dichroism, the electronic structure and magnetic properties were studied before and after the plasma treatment and compared to results of freshly prepared magnetite nanoparticles. While aged magnetite nanoparticles exhibit a more γ-Fe2O3 like behaviour, the hydrogen plasma yields pure Fe3O4 nanoparticles. Monitoring the temperature dependence of the intra-atomic spin dipole contribution to the dichroic spectra gives evidence that the structural, electronic and magnetic properties of plasma treated magnetite nanoparticles can outperform the ones of the freshly prepared batch.

Interfacial Magnetoelectric Switching in Multiferroic Heterostructures

Novel methods of switching magnetism with electric fields and vice versa, and aiming at magnetoelectric (ME) data processing are reported. First, the patented MERAM@ uses the electric field control of exchange bias via an epitaxial Cr2O3 layer and exchange coupling to a Pt/Co/Pt trilayer. It promises to crucially reduce Joule energy losses in RAM devices. Second, magnetic switching of the electric polarization by a transverse magnetic field in a 3-1 composite of a vertically poled BaTiO3 thick film embedding CoFe2O4 nanopillars produces a regular surface polarization pattern with rectangular symmetry. Its possible use for data processing is discussed.