Intertwined atomic-nanoscale-microscale structures via intralayer anisotropic Fe-chains in the layered ferromagnet FePd2Te2

TL;DR

This study reveals how intralayer Fe-chains influence the hierarchical structures in layered FePd2Te2, demonstrating the connection between atomic self-organization and mesoscale morphology through advanced microscopy techniques.

Contribution

It provides the first direct visualization of intertwined atomic, nanoscale, and mesoscale structures in FePd2Te2, linking atomic chain orientation to mesoscale morphology and structural transitions.

Findings

Hierarchical orthogonal corrugated morphologies identified

Atomic resolution of Fe-chains and Te atoms achieved

Structural transitions driven by thermal and strain effects

Abstract

Controlling mesoscale and nanoscale material structures and properties through self-organized atomic behavior is essential for atomic-scale manufacturing. However, direct and visual studies on the cross-scale effects of such atomic self-organization on mesoscopic structures remain scarce. Here, we report the intertwined atomic-nanoscale-mesoscale structures via the intralayer Fe-chains in the sandwich-like layered FePd2Te2 crystal by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The hierarchical orthogonal corrugated morphologies are directly revealed and attributed to its chain-orientation-determined twinning-domain effect. Both Fe-chains of middle-sublayer and two kinds of Te atoms of top-sublayer are further atomically resolved at the sub-{\AA} level, indicating the critical effects of Pd-atoms/voids on the intra-layer anisotropic Fe-chains and the interlayer structural alignment. The thermal-induced and strain-related structural transitions of surface layer are further investigated and discussed based on the proposed filling model of Pd-voids by the intralayer Pd-atoms. Our work not only provides deep understanding of this exotic layered magnetic material, and will inspire more perspectives for tailoring its anisotropic atomic-to-mesoscale structures and properties.