Interfacial structure and electronic properties of AFM/FM magnetic multilayer revealed by Scanning Tunneling Microscope

TL;DR

This study investigates the atomic mixing and electronic properties at the interface of Mn/Fe magnetic multilayers on Cu(001) using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, revealing surface alloy formation and electronic structure variations.

Contribution

It provides detailed atomic-scale insights into interfacial mixing and electronic structure changes in Mn/Fe multilayers, highlighting the formation of surface alloys and their electronic implications.

Findings

Surface alloy formation occurs when Mn layer is thinner than 3 atomic layers.

Suppression of Fe segregation observed from the fourth Mn layer onward.

Electronic structure of the fourth Mn layer differs slightly from the fifth due to hybridization.

Abstract

Mixing of atoms at the interface was studied for Mn/Fe magnetic hetero-epitaxial layers on Cu(001) by scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy. The formation of a surface alloy was observed when the Mn layer was thinner than 3 atomic layers. From the fourth layer, Fe segregation is suppressed, and a pure Mn surface appears. Accordingly, spectroscopic measurements revealed the electronic difference between the surface alloy and Mn layers. The surface electronic structure of the fourth Mn layer is slightly different from that of the fifth layers, which is attributed to the hybridization of the fourth layer with the underneath Fe-Mn alloy.