Spin, atomic and inter-atomic orbital magnetism induced by 3d nanostructures deposited on transition metal surfaces

TL;DR

This study uses first-principles calculations to analyze how 3d transition metal adatoms induce spin and orbital magnetism on various transition metal surfaces, revealing the influence of chemical and structural factors on surface magnetic properties.

Contribution

It provides a detailed first-principles analysis of surface magnetism induced by 3d adatoms, including atomic and inter-atomic orbital contributions, and explores effects of adatom clustering and computational parameters.

Findings

Surface magnetism depends on adatom d-orbital filling and surface electron properties.

Induced orbital moments significantly contribute to the magnetic stray field.

Clustering of adatoms alters the magnetic response and stray field characteristics.

Abstract

We present a first-principles study of the surface magnetism induced by Cr, Mn, Fe and Co adatoms on the (111) surfaces of Rh, Pd, Ag, Ir, Pt and Au. We first describe how the different contributions to the surface magnetism enter the magnetic stray field, with special attention paid to the induced orbital moments. Then we present results for the spin and orbital magnetic moments of the adatoms, and for the induced surface spin and orbital magnetic moments, the latter being further divided into atomic and inter-atomic contributions. We investigate how the surface magnetism is determined by the chemical nature of the elements involved, such as the filling of the magnetic d-orbitals of the adatoms and the properties of the itinerant electrons at the surface (whether they are sp- or d-like, and whether the spin-orbit interaction is relevant), and how it is modified if the magnetic adatoms are brought together to form a cluster, with Cr, Mn, Fe, and Co trimers on Pt(111) as an example. We also explore the impact of computational approximations, such as the distance between the adatom and the Pt(111) surface, or confinement effects due to the finite thickness of the slab used to model it. Our discussion of the magnetic stray field generated by a single adatom and its environment suggests a possible way of disentangling the induced surface magnetism from the adatom one, which could be feasible with scanning NV-center microscopy.