Kicking Co and Rh atoms on a row-wise antiferromagnet

TL;DR

This study combines STM experiments and DFT calculations to show how magnetic states influence the one-dimensional diffusion of Co and Rh atoms on a row-wise antiferromagnetic surface, revealing magnetism as a tool to control adatom mobility.

Contribution

It provides the first experimental evidence linking magnetic order to adatom diffusion pathways, supported by theoretical insights into spin conservation during atom movement.

Findings

Atoms move in one dimension along magnetic rows.

Magnetic state influences adatom diffusion pathways.

Spin conservation governs atom mobility on magnetic surfaces.

Abstract

Diffusion on surfaces is a fundamental process in surface science, governing nanostructure and film growth, molecular self-assembly, and chemical reactions. Atom motion on non-magnetic surfaces has been studied extensively both theoretically and by real-space imaging techniques. For magnetic surfaces density functional theory (DFT) calculations have predicted strong effects of the magnetic state onto adatom diffusion, but to date no corresponding experimental data exists. Here, we investigate Co and Rh atoms on a hexagonal magnetic layer, using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and DFT calculations. Experimentally, we "kick" atoms by local voltage pulses and thereby initiate strictly one-dimensional motion which is dictated by the row-wise antiferromagnetic (AFM) state. Our calculations show that the one-dimensional motion of Co and Rh atoms results from conserving the Co spin direction during movement and avoiding high induced Rh spin moments, respectively. These findings demonstrate that magnetism can be a means to control adatom mobility.