Patrick Audehm

Interfacial dominated ferromagnetism in nanograined ZnO: a μSR and DFT study

Diamagnetic oxides can, under certain conditions, become ferromagnetic at room temperature and therefore are promising candidates for future material in spintronic devices. Contrary to early predictions, doping ZnO with uniformly distributed magnetic ions is not essential to obtain ferromagnetic samples. Instead, the nanostructure seems to play the key role, as room temperature ferromagnetism was also found in nanograined, undoped ZnO. However, the origin of room temperature ferromagnetism in primarily non–magnetic oxides like ZnO is still unexplained and a controversial subject within the scientific community. Using low energy muon spin relaxation in combination with SQUID and TEM techniques, we demonstrate that the magnetic volume fraction is strongly related to the sample volume fraction occupied by grain boundaries. With molecular dynamics and density functional theory we find ferromagnetic coupled electron states in ZnO grain boundaries. Our results provide evidence and a microscopic model for room temperature ferromagnetism in oxides.

Strain and composition dependence of orbital polarization in nickel oxide superlattices

A combined analysis of x-ray absorption and resonant reflectivity data was used to obtain the orbital polarization profiles of superlattices composed of four-unit-cell-thick layers of metallic LaNiO3 and layers of insulating RXO3 (R=La, Gd, Dy and X=Al, Ga, Sc), grown on substrates that impose either compressive or tensile strain. This superlattice geometry allowed us to partly separate the influence of epitaxial strain from interfacial effects controlled by the chemical composition of the insulating blocking layers. Our quantitative analysis reveal orbital polarizations up to 25%. We further show that strain is the most effective control parameter, whereas the influence of the chemical composition of the blocking layers is comparatively small.

Application of magneto-optical Kerr effect to first-order reversal curve measurements

First-order reversal curves (FORC) are a powerful method for magnetic sample characterization, separating all magnetic states of an investigated system according to their coercivity and internal magnetic interactions. A major drawback of using measurement techniques like VSM or SQUID, typically applied for FORC acquisition, is the long measurement time, limiting the resolution and the number of measurements due to time constraints. Faster techniques like MOKE result in problems regarding measurement stability over the curse of the acquisition of many minor loops, due to drift and non-absolute magnetization values. Here, we present an approach using a specialized field shape providing two anchor points for each minor loop for applying the magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) technique to FORC measurements. This results in a high field resolution while keeping the total acquisition time to only a few minutes. MOKE FORC measurements are exemplarily applied to a simple permalloy film, an exchange-bias system, and a Gd/Fe multilayer system with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, showcasing the versatility of the method.

Element-specific depth profile of magnetism and stoichiometry at the La0.67Sr0.33MnO3/BiFeO3 interface

Depth-sensitive magnetic, structural and chemical characterization is important in the understanding and optimization of novel physical phenomena emerging at interfaces of transition metal oxide heterostructures. In a simultaneous approach we have used polarized neutron and resonant X-ray reflectometry to determine the magnetic profile across atomically sharp interfaces of ferromagnetic La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 / multiferroic BiFeO3 bi-layers with sub-nanometer resolution. In particular, the X-ray resonant magnetic reflectivity measurements at the Fe and Mn resonance edges allowed us to determine the element specific depth profile of the ferromagnetic moments in both the La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 and BiFeO3 layers. Our measurements indicate a magnetically diluted interface layer within the La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 layer, in contrast to previous observations on inversely deposited layers. Additional resonant X-ray reflection measurements indicate a region of an altered Mn- and O-content at the interface, with a thickness matching that of the magnetic diluted layer, as origin of the reduction of the magnetic moment.

Perpendicular magnetisation from in-plane fields in nano-scaled antidot lattices

Investigations of geometric frustrations in magnetic antidot lattices have led to the observation of interesting phenomena like spin-ice and magnetic monopoles. By using highly focused magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements and x-ray microscopy with magnetic contrast we deduce that geometrical frustration in these nanostructured thin film systems also leads to an out-of-plane magnetization from a purely in-plane applied magnetic field. For certain orientations of the antidot lattice, formation of perpendicular magnetic domains has been found with a size of several μm that may be used for an in-plane/out-of-plane transducer.

The temperature-dependent magnetization profile across an epitaxial bilayer of ferromagnetic La2/3Ca1/3MnO3 and superconducting YBa2Cu3O7−δ

Epitaxial bilayers of ferromagnetic (FM) La2/3Ca1/3MnO3 (LCMO) and superconducting YBa2Cu3O7?? (YBCO) have been grown on single-crystalline SrTiO3 (STO) substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The manganese magnetization profile across the FM layer has been determined with high spatial resolution at low temperatures by x-ray resonant magnetic reflectivity (XRMR) performed at the BESSY II synchrotron light source of the Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin. It is found that not only the adjacent superconductor but also the substrate underneath influences the magnetization of the LCMO film at the interface at low temperatures. Both effects can be investigated individually by XRMR.

Pinned orbital moments – A new contribution to magnetic anisotropy

Reduced dimensionality and symmetry breaking at interfaces lead to unusual local magnetic configurations, such as glassy behavior, frustration or increased anisotropy. The interface between a ferromagnet and an antiferromagnet is such an example for enhanced symmetry breaking. Here we present detailed X-ray magnetic circular dichroism and X-ray resonant magnetic reflectometry investigations on the spectroscopic nature of uncompensated pinned magnetic moments in the antiferromagnetic layer of a typical exchange bias system. Unexpectedly, the pinned moments exhibit nearly pure orbital moment character. This strong orbital pinning mechanism has not been observed so far and is not discussed in literature regarding any theory for local magnetocrystalline anisotropy energies in magnetic systems. To verify this new phenomenon we investigated the effect at different temperatures. We provide a simple model discussing the observed pure orbital moments, based on rotatable spin magnetic moments and pinned orbital moments on the same atom. This unexpected observation leads to a concept for a new type of anisotropy energy.

Corrigendum: Interfacial dominated ferromagnetism in nanograined ZnO: a μSR and DFT study

Diamagnetic oxides can, under certain conditions, become ferromagnetic at room temperature and therefore are promising candidates for future material in spintronic devices. Contrary to early predictions, doping ZnO with uniformly distributed magnetic ions is not essential to obtain ferromagnetic samples. Instead, the nanostructure seems to play the key role, as room temperature ferromagnetism was also found in nanograined, undoped ZnO. However, the origin of room temperature ferromagnetism in primarily non–magnetic oxides like ZnO is still unexplained and a controversial subject within the scientific community. Using low energy muon spin relaxation in combination with SQUID and TEM techniques, we demonstrate that the magnetic volume fraction is strongly related to the sample volume fraction occupied by grain boundaries. With molecular dynamics and density functional theory we find ferromagnetic coupled electron states in ZnO grain boundaries. Our results provide evidence and a microscopic model for room temperature ferromagnetism in oxides.

Chaotic vortex dynamics and low current phases in the remanent state of MgB2 thin films

The current carrying critical state in thin superconducting films can become unstable at low temperatures. Collective motion of flux lines in the form of thermomagnetic avalanches leads to a substantial suppression of the critical current density and magnetization in the remanent state. Since the formation of these chaotic processes is strongly dependent on the local magnetic flux density, these effects can be restricted to particular areas of a thin film superconductor. We show magneto-optical images of the remanent state of thin magnesium diboride films. By producing difference images of remanent states subsequently prepared under the same conditions, the areas of chaotic flux line behaviour can be easily identified. Temperature-dependent investigations show that the area of chaotic motion grows with decreasing temperature below T = 10 K.