Origin of magnetically dead layers in spinel ferrites FeO grown on AlO; Effects of postdeposition annealing studied by XMCD

野中 洋亮*; 若林 勇希*; 芝田 悟朗; 坂本 祥哉*; 池田 啓祐*; Chi, Z.*; Wan, Y.*; 鈴木 雅弘*; 田中 新*; 田中 雅明*; et al.

Physical Review Materials (Internet), 7(4), p.044413_1 - 044413_10, 2023/04

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevMaterials.7.044413

We study the electronic and magnetic states of as-grown and annealed FeO(111)/AlO3(111) (Co, Ni) thin films with various thicknesses grown on Si(111) substrates with the -AlO(111)buffer layers by using X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD), to investigate magnetically dead layers in these films. Although the magnetically dead layers in the as-grown samples are formed near the interface with the AlO buffer layer, we reveal that ferrimagnetic order is partially recovered by postdeposition annealing at 973 K for 48 hours in air. By analyzing the line shapes of the XAS and XMCD spectra, we conclude that, in the dead layers, there are a significant number of vacancies at the sites of the spinel structure, which may be the microscopic origin of the degraded ferrimagnetic order in the FeO thin films.

Cr doping-induced ferromagnetism in the spin-glass CdMnTe studied by X-ray magnetic circular dichroism

Verma, V.*; 坂本 祥哉*; 石川 弘一郎*; Singh, V. R.*; 石上 啓介*; 芝田 悟朗; 門野 利治*; 小出 常晴*; 黒田 真司*; 藤森 淳*

Physica B; Condensed Matter, 642, p.414129_1 - 414129_5, 2022/10

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physb.2022.414129

The prototypical diluted magnetic semiconductor CdMnTe is a spin glass () or an antiferromagnet () but becomes ferromagnetic upon doping with a small amount of Cr atoms. To investigate the origin of the ferromagnetism in CdMnCrTe, we have studied its element specific magnetic properties by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD). Measured XAS and XMCD spectra indicate that both Cr and Mn atoms are divalent and that the magnetic moments of Cr and Mn are aligned parallel. By analyzing the element-specific magnetization curves, we conclude that Cr doping leads to the formation of ferromagnetic or superparamagnetic clusters consisting of several Cr ions surrounded by a much larger number of Mn ions.

Alternation of magnetic anisotropy accompanied by metal-insulator transition in strained ultrathin manganite heterostructures

小林 正起*; Anh, L. D.*; 鈴木 雅弘*; 金田-高田 真悟*; 竹田 幸治; 藤森 伸一; 芝田 悟朗*; 田中 新*; 田中 雅明*; 大矢 忍*; et al.

Physical Review Applied (Internet), 15(6), p.064019_1 - 064019_10, 2021/06

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevApplied.15.064019

A fundamental understanding of the interfacial magnetic properties in ferromagnetic heterostructures is essential for utilizing ferromagnetic materials for spintronic device applications. Here, we investigate the interfacial magnetic and electronic structures of epitaxial single-crystalline LaAlO(LAO)/LaSrMnO(LSMO)/Nb:SrTiO(Nb:STO) heterostructures with varying LSMO layer thicknesses, in which the magnetic anisotropy strongly changes with the LSMO thickness due to the delicate balance between strains originating from both the Nb:STO and LAO layers, using X-ray magnetic circular dichroism and photoemission spectroscopy. We successfully detect the clear change of the magnetic behavior of the Mn ions concomitant with the thickness-dependent metal-insulator transition. Our results suggest that the double-exchange interaction induces ferromagnetism in the metallic LSMO film under tensile strain caused by the STO substrate, while the superexchange interaction determines the magnetic behavior in the insulating LSMO film under compressive strain originating from the top LAO layer. The change in strain, depending on LSMO layer thickness, is confirmed by scanning transmission electron microscopy. Based on those findings, the formation of a magnetic dead layer near the LAO/LSMO interface is attributed to competition between the superexchange interaction via Mn orbitals under compressive strain and the double-exchange interaction via the orbitals. These findings provide key aspects of ferromagnetic oxide heterostructures for the development of spintronic device applications.

Electronic structure of the high- ferromagnetic semiconductor (Ga,Fe)Sb; X-ray magnetic circular dichroism and resonance photoemission spectroscopy studies

坂本 祥哉*; Tu, N. T.*; 竹田 幸治; 藤森 伸一; Hai, P. N.*; Anh, L. D.*; 若林 勇希*; 芝田 悟朗*; 堀尾 眞史*; 池田 啓祐*; et al.

Physical Review B, 100(3), p.035204_1 - 035204_8, 2019/07

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.100.035204

The electronic structure and the magnetism of the ferromagnetic semiconductor (Ga,Fe)Sb, whose Curie temperature can exceed room temperature, were investigated by means of X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD), and resonance photoemission spectroscopy (RPES). The line-shape analyses of the XAS and XMCD spectra suggest that the ferromagnetism is of intrinsic origin. The orbital magnetic moments deduced using XMCD sum rules were found to be large, indicating that there is a considerable 3 contribution to the ground state of Fe. From RPES, we observed a strong dispersive Auger peak and nondispersive resonantly enhanced peaks in the valence-band spectra. The latter is a fingerprint of the correlated nature of Fe 3 electrons, whereas the former indicates their itinerant nature. It was also found that the Fe 3 states have a finite contribution to the density of states at the Fermi energy. These states would be responsible for the ferromagnetic order in this material.

Cation distribution and magnetic properties in ultrathin (NiCo)FeO (x=0-1) layers on Si(111) studied by soft X-ray magnetic circular dichroism

若林 勇希*; 野中 洋亮*; 竹田 幸治; 坂本 祥哉*; 池田 啓祐*; Chi, Z.*; 芝田 悟朗*; 田中 新*; 斎藤 祐児; 山上 浩志; et al.

Physical Review Materials (Internet), 2(10), p.104416_1 - 104416_12, 2018/10

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevMaterials.2.104416

We study the electronic structure and magnetic properties of epitaxial (NiCo)FeO(111) layers with thicknesses = 1.7 - 5.2 nm grown on AlO(111)/Si(111) structures. We revealed the crystallographic (octahedral or tetrahedral ) sites and the valences of the Fe, Co, and Ni cations using experimental soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism spectra and configuration-interaction cluster-model calculation.

Magnetization process of the -type ferromagnetic semiconductor (In,Fe)As:Be studied by X-ray magnetic circular dichroism

坂本 祥哉*; Anh, L. D.*; Hai, P. N.*; 芝田 悟朗*; 竹田 幸治; 小林 正起*; 高橋 文雄*; 小出 常晴*; 田中 雅明*; 藤森 淳*

Physical Review B, 93(3), p.035203_1 - 035203_6, 2016/01

AA2016-0502.pdf:1.1MB

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.93.035203

In order to investigate the mechanism of ferromagnetic ordering in the new -type magnetic semiconductor (In,Fe)As codoped with Be, we have performed X-ray absorption spectroscopy and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) studies. The spectral line shapes suggest that the ferromagnetism is intrinsic, originating from Fe atoms incorporated into the zinc-blende-type InAs lattice. The magnetization curves of Fe measured by XMCD were well reproduced by the superposition of a Langevin function representing superparamagnetic (SPM) behavior of nanoscale ferromagnetic domains and a -linear function representing Curie-Weiss paramagnetism even much above the Curie temperatures. The data at 20 K showed a deviation from the Langevin behavior, suggesting a gradual establishment of macroscopic ferromagnetism on lowering temperature. The existence of nanoscale ferromagnetic domains indicated by the SPM behavior suggests spatial fluctuations of Fe concentration on the nanoscale.

Orbital magnetic moment and coercivity of SiO-coated FePt nanoparticles studied by X-ray magnetic circular dichroism

高橋 文雄*; 門野 利治*; 山本 真平*; Singh, V. R.*; Verma, V.*; 石上 啓介*; 芝田 悟朗*; 原野 貴幸*; 竹田 幸治; 岡根 哲夫; et al.

Physical Review B, 90(2), p.024423_1 - 024423_5, 2014/07

AA2015-0417.pdf:0.45MB

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.90.024423

We have investigated the spin and orbital magnetic moments of Fe in FePt nanoparticles in the -ordered phase coated with SiO by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) measurements at the Fe absorption edges. The magnetic coercivity (H) was found to be as large as 1.8 T at room temperature, 3 times larger than the thin film value and 50 times larger than that of the gas phase condensed nanoparticles. The hysteresis curve is well explained by the Stoner-Wohlfarth model for noninteracting single-domain nanoparticles with the H distributed from 1 to 5 T.

Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of iron-intercalated transition-metal disulfides studied by X-ray magnetic circular dichroism

芝田 悟朗

no journal, , 

Layered transition-metal dichalcogenides with the 1T-CdI-type crystal structure are known to exhibit a wide variety of electric and magnetic properties by intercalating various transition-metal atoms of different concentrations between adjacent layers. Among them, iron-intercalated titanium disulfides FeTiS and tantalum disulfides FeTaS are ferromagnets which exhibits strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) with large coercive fields of a few tesla. It is reported that FeTaS shows stronger PMA than FeTiS, presumably due to the stronger spin-orbit interaction (SOI) of Ta. In the present study, in order to elucidate the microscopic origin of the strong PMA in these compounds, the electronic structure and magnetism of single-crystalline FeTiS and FeTaS have been investigated via X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD). From the spectral line shapes of XAS and XMCD, the valence of Fe is shown to be essentially 2+, whereas Ti is in an itinerant electronic state between 3+ and 4+. This shows that electrons are doped from the intercalated Fe atoms into the host TiS and TaS. Notably, clear differences in the spectral line shapes of XMCD at the Fe edges are observed between FeTiS and FeTaS despite the similarity of the crystal structures. This may be attributed to the different SOI strength between these compounds. Based on the configuration-interaction cluster-model calculations, the observed changes in the spectral line shapes can be qualitatively reproduced by virtually increasing SOI of Fe 3 electrons.

SPring-8 RI実験棟での走査型透過X線透過顕微鏡の整備

竹田 幸治; 土井 玲祐; 芝田 悟朗; 矢板 毅

no journal, , 

日本原子力研究開発機構は、大型放射光施設SPring-8において放射性物質の取り扱いが可能なRI実験棟に引き込まれた硬X線(BL22XU)および軟X線(BL23SU)の2本の専用ビームラインを運用している。本発表ではRI実験棟のBL23SUの最下流に設置・整備してきた走査型透過X線顕微鏡(STXM)装置を紹介する。本装置は、福島第一原子力発電所の廃炉作業に資するための放射性微粒子の分析や希土類抽出技術の開発、アクチノイド基礎科学研究等の展開を目的として導入された。本装置概要とこれまでの立ち上げ状況、および今後の計画について報告する。

SPring-8 RI実験棟での走査型透過X線顕微鏡の整備

竹田 幸治; 土井 玲祐; 芝田 悟朗; 矢板 毅

no journal, , 

SPring-8 RI実験棟BL23SUに設置・整備をしてきた走査型透過X線顕微鏡(STXM)のスペックと立ち上げ状況を報告する。