P. A. Ignatiev

Size-Dependent Surface States of Strained Cobalt Nanoislands on Cu(111)

Low-temperature scanning tunneling spectroscopy over Co nanoislands on Cu(111) showed that the surface states of the islands vary with their size. Occupied states exhibit a sizable downward energy shift as the island size decreases. The position of the occupied states also significantly changes across the islands. Atomic-scale simulations and ab initio calculations demonstrate that the driving force for the observed shift is related to size-dependent mesoscopic relaxations in the nanoislands.

Spin-Dependent Quantum Interference Within a Single Magnetic Nanostructure

Wave-Particle Duality The dual-wave nature of particles is nowhere more evident than in a confined space, where standing waves are formed with wavelengths that depend on particle energy. This so-called quantum interference has been observed in nanostructures using surface probes such as scanning tunneling microscopy. Now, Oka et al. (p. 843) use the spin-polarized version of this technique to study spin-dependent quantum interference on a triangular nanoscale cobalt island deposited on a copper surface. They observe the modulation of the magnetization, with the pattern depending on the energy of the interfering electrons. The experimental results are in good agreement with simulations, which indicate that the magnetization at a given energy and position largely depends on which of two electron spin states present dominates. Magnetization modulation is observed on a cobalt nanoisland using spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy. Quantum interference is a coherent quantum phenomenon that takes place in confined geometries. Using spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy, we found that quantum interference of electrons causes spatial modulation of spin polarization within a single magnetic nanostructure. We observed changes in both the sign and magnitude of the spin polarization on a subnanometer scale. A comparison of our experimental results with ab initio calculations shows that at a given energy, the modulation of the spin polarization can be ascribed to the difference between the spatially modulated local density of states of the majority spin and the nonmodulated minority spin contribution.

Structure and magnetic properties of Co chains on a stepped Cu surface

Magnetic moments and the magnetic anisotropy energy (MAE) are calculated for Co chains on a stepped Cu(111) surface in a fully relaxed geometry. The Korringa–Kohn–Rostoker Green’s function method is used to determine parameters of N-body interatomic potentials and to fit the semi-empirical tightbinding electronic Hamiltonian. The strain relief at steps and in the Co chains is demonstrated to have a profound effect on the morphology of the substrate. Atomic relaxations are shown to decrease the magnetic moments and the MAE. The MAE and orbital moments are found to exhibit an oscillatory behavior with increasing size of the chains. (Some figures in this article are in colour only in the electronic version)

Tailoring Exchange Interactions in Engineered Nanostructures: An Ab Initio Study

We present a novel approach to spin manipulation in atomic-scale nanostructures. Our ab initio calculations clearly demonstrate that it is possible to tune magnetic properties of subnanometer structures by adjusting the geometry of the system. By the example of two surface-based systems we demonstrate the following. (i) The magnetic moment of a single adatom coupled to a buried magnetic Co layer can be stabilized in either a ferromagnetic or an antiferromagnetic configuration depending on the spacer thickness. It is found that a buried Co layer has a profound effect on the exchange interaction between two magnetic impurities on the surface. (ii) The exchange interaction between magnetic adatoms can be manipulated by introducing artificial nonmagnetic Cu chains to link them.

New insights into nanomagnetism: spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy studies

We perform low-temperature spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy (SP-STM) and spectroscopy measurements in magnetic fields to gain new insights into nanomagnetism. We use the magnetic field to change and control magnetizations of a sample and a magnetic tip, and measure the magnetic hysteresis loops of individual Co nano-islands on Cu(111). We also exploit the high spatial resolution of SP-STM in magnetic fields to measure maps of the differential conductance within a single Co nano-island. In connection with ab initio calculations, we find that the spin polarization is not homogeneous but spatially modulated within the nano-island. We ascribe the spatial variation of the spin polarization to spin-dependent electron confinement within the Co nano-island.

Confined bulk states as a long-range sensor for impurities and a transfer channel for quantum information

We show that confinement of bulk electrons can be observed at low-dimensional surface structures and can serve as a long-range sensor for the magnetism and electronic properties of single impurities or as a quantum information transfer channel with large coherence lengths. Our ab initio calculations reveal oscillations of electron density in magnetic chains on metallic surfaces and help to unambiguously identify the electrons involved as bulk electrons. We furthermore discuss the possibility of utilizing bulk state confinement to transfer quantum information, encoded in an atoms species or spin, across distances of several nanometers with high efficiency.

Magnetic properties of Pd atomic chains formed during submonolayer deposition of 3d metals on Pd(110)

Recently, an unusual intermixing-driven scenario for the growth of atomic Pd chains on a Pd(110) surface during deposition of 3d metal atoms has been predicted (Stepanyuk 2009 Phys. Rev. B 79 155410) and confirmed by STM and STS experiments (Wie et al 2009 Phys. Rev. Lett. 103 225504). Performing ab initio calculations we demonstrate that Pd atomic chains grown above embedded Fe atoms exhibit magnetic properties which depend on the substrate mediated exchange interaction between the Fe atoms.