Very high quality NiO films have been grown on Fe(001) by means of Molecular Beam Epitaxy. The chemical and magnetic properties of the NiO/Fe(001) interface have been evaluated by means of X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy and X-ray Magnetic Circular Dichroism. Furthermore, combined use of X-ray Magnetic Linear Dichroism and PhotoElectron Emission Microscopy allowed to observe an in-plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy in very thin NiO films. For NiO films thinner than about 9 atomic layers the NiO magnetic moments align in-plane perpendicular to the Fe substrate magnetization. Above such critical thickness the coupling turns out to be collinear. The effects of thermal treatments, fundamental to produce exchange-biased structures, have also been considered.
Chemical and Magnetic Properties of NiO Thin Films Epitaxially Grown on Fe(001)
BRAMBILLA, ALBERTO
2008
Abstract
Very high quality NiO films have been grown on Fe(001) by means of Molecular Beam Epitaxy. The chemical and magnetic properties of the NiO/Fe(001) interface have been evaluated by means of X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy and X-ray Magnetic Circular Dichroism. Furthermore, combined use of X-ray Magnetic Linear Dichroism and PhotoElectron Emission Microscopy allowed to observe an in-plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy in very thin NiO films. For NiO films thinner than about 9 atomic layers the NiO magnetic moments align in-plane perpendicular to the Fe substrate magnetization. Above such critical thickness the coupling turns out to be collinear. The effects of thermal treatments, fundamental to produce exchange-biased structures, have also been considered.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
