Strain-induced effects in the electronic and spin properties of a monolayer of ferromagnetic GdAg2

TL;DR

This study investigates how strain affects the electronic and magnetic properties of a monolayer GdAg2 on Ag(111), revealing tunable band structures and magnetic inhomogeneity through combined microscopy and ab-initio calculations.

Contribution

It demonstrates the linear shift of electronic bands via strain and the impact of substrate-induced relaxation on magnetic and electronic heterogeneity.

Findings

Electronic band structure shifts linearly with strain (1-7%).

Spatially varying atomic relaxation causes inhomogeneous magnetic anisotropy.

Coupling to substrate induces subsurface buckling and electronic texturing.

Abstract

We report on the structural, electronic and magnetic properties of a monolayer of GdAg2, forming a moir\'e pattern on Ag(111). Combining scanning tunneling microscopy and ab-initio spin-polarized calculations, we show that the electronic band structure can be shifted linearly via thermal dependent strain of the intra-layer atomic distance in a range between 1-7%, leading to lateral hetero-structuring. Furthermore, the coupling of the incommensurable GdAg2 alloy layer to the Ag(111) substrate leads to spatially varying atomic relaxation causing subsurface layer buckling, texturing of the electronic and spin properties, and inhomogeneity of the magnetic anisotropy energy across the layer. These results provide perspectives for a control of electronic properties and magnetic ordering in atomically-thin layers.