J. Oster

Thermally induced emission of light from a metallic diffraction grating, mediated by surface plasmons

The angular emission of light of wavelength 710 and 810 nm from a gold diffraction grating was studied at about 700°C. A peak in the emission was found for defined angles. This contribution is purely TM-polarised and is attributed to thermally excited surface plasmons, coupled to light waves by the diffraction grating.

Crystallography, morphology, and magnetic properties of Fe nanostructures on faceted α-Al2O3 m plane

The properties of iron nanostructures prepared by shallow incidence molecular beam epitaxy on faceted α-Al2O3 (101¯0) (m plane) are described. Depending on the angle of deposition with regard to the sapphire surface, the morphology of the structures reaches from pearl-necklet-like strung nanodrops to laced nanowires. Crystallographic measurements reveal at least four epitaxial close to (211)-oriented twins. Magnetization measurements performed at room temperature in a vibrating sample magnetometer and magneto-optical Kerr rotation measurements reveal an easy axis of magnetization close to the facet ridges. Still, the shape of the hysteresis loops depends strongly on the morphology of the samples. The magnetization reversal process can be described by the formation of a magnetic vortex structure.

High-resolution transmission electron microscopic investigations of molybdenum thin films on faceted α-Al2O3

Epitaxially grown Mo films on a faceted corundum (α-Al2O3) m plane were investigated by transmission electron microscopy. Low- and high-resolution images were taken from a cross-section specimen cut perpendicular to the facets. It was possible to identify unambiguously the crystallographic orientation of these facets and explain the considerable deviation (∼10°) of the experimental interfacet angle, as measured with atomic force microscopy (AFM), from the expected value. For the first time, proof is given for a smooth \{10\bar{1}1\} facet and a curvy facet with orientation near to \{10\bar{1}\bar{2}\}. Moreover, the three-dimensional epitaxial relationship of an Mo film on a faceted corundum m surface was determined.

Guided vortex motion in Nb films on facetted substrate surfaces

Abstract Anisotropy of the pinning force in a superconductor can cause a guiding effect on the vortices, which leads to the appearance of new components in the galvanomagnetic quantities of the sample. In this case one can observe an additional odd magnetoresistive component with respect to magnetic field reversal. Furthermore, an even contribution to the Hall voltage is observed. Guided motion of vortices in Nb films on facetted α-Al2O3 (1 0 1 0) was found by measuring the longitudinal and transversal resistivities of three films with transport current directed parallel, perpendicular and at an angle of 45° with respect to the facet ridges. Field inversion was used to separate the even and odd components of the measured magnetoresistivities and thus to obtain the contributions caused by the guided vortex motion.

Magnetotransport properties of epitaxial (100)- and (111)-oriented CeSb thin films

Abstract We present the electronic magnetotransport properties of (1 0 0) - and (1 1 1) -oriented CeSb thin films. The samples were grown epitaxially by molecular beam epitaxy onto sapphire (1 1 2 0) and (0 0 0 1) substrates. The temperature-dependent resistivity is in full correspondence with the behaviour known from bulk material. For (1 0 0) -oriented films the analysis of the temperature and magnetic field-dependent magnetoresistivity results in a H/T phase diagram analogous to that of bulk samples. For (1 1 1) -oriented films slight deviations were observed. In Hall-effect measurements of (1 0 0) -oriented samples a sign change of the Hall coefficient occurred which is in contrast to measurements performed on single crystals. These deviations are interpreted in terms of a skew-scattering component resulting from an incoherent background of non-saturated magnetic moments.

Magnetotransport properties of epitaxial (1 0 0)- and (1 1 1)-oriented CeSb thin films

Abstract We present the electronic magnetotransport properties of (1 0 0) - and (1 1 1) -oriented CeSb thin films. The samples were grown epitaxially by molecular beam epitaxy onto sapphire (1 1 2 0) and (0 0 0 1) substrates. The temperature-dependent resistivity is in full correspondence with the behaviour known from bulk material. For (1 0 0) -oriented films the analysis of the temperature and magnetic field-dependent magnetoresistivity results in a H/T phase diagram analogous to that of bulk samples. For (1 1 1) -oriented films slight deviations were observed. In Hall-effect measurements of (1 0 0) -oriented samples a sign change of the Hall coefficient occurred which is in contrast to measurements performed on single crystals. These deviations are interpreted in terms of a skew-scattering component resulting from an incoherent background of non-saturated magnetic moments.

Magnetotransport properties of epitaxial - and -oriented CeSb thin films

Abstract We present the electronic magnetotransport properties of (1 0 0) - and (1 1 1) -oriented CeSb thin films. The samples were grown epitaxially by molecular beam epitaxy onto sapphire (1 1 2 0) and (0 0 0 1) substrates. The temperature-dependent resistivity is in full correspondence with the behaviour known from bulk material. For (1 0 0) -oriented films the analysis of the temperature and magnetic field-dependent magnetoresistivity results in a H/T phase diagram analogous to that of bulk samples. For (1 1 1) -oriented films slight deviations were observed. In Hall-effect measurements of (1 0 0) -oriented samples a sign change of the Hall coefficient occurred which is in contrast to measurements performed on single crystals. These deviations are interpreted in terms of a skew-scattering component resulting from an incoherent background of non-saturated magnetic moments.