Fabrication of Isolated Iron Nanowires.

Nanoscale interconnects are an important component of molecular electronics. Here we use X-ray spectromicroscopy techniques as well as scanning probe methods to explore the self-assembled growth of insulated iron nanowires as a potential means of supplying an earth abundant solution. The intrinsic anisotropy of a TiO2(110) substrate directs the growth of micron length iron wires at elevated temperatures, with a strong metal-support interaction giving rise to ilmenite (FeTiO3) encapsulation. Iron nanoparticles that decorate the nanowires display magnetic properties that suggest other possible applications.

Emergent and robust ferromagnetic-insulating state in highly strained ferroelastic LaCoO3 thin films.

Transition metal oxides are promising candidates for the next generation of spintronic devices due to their fascinating properties that can be effectively engineered by strain, defects, and microstructure. An excellent example can be found in ferroelastic LaCoO3 with paramagnetism in bulk. In contrast, unexpected ferromagnetism is observed in tensile-strained LaCoO3 films, however, its origin remains controversial. Here we simultaneously reveal the formation of ordered oxygen vacancies and previously unreported long-range suppression of CoO6 octahedral rotations throughout LaCoO3 films. Supported by density functional theory calculations, we find that the strong modification of Co 3d-O 2p hybridization associated with the increase of both Co-O-Co bond angle and Co-O bond length weakens the crystal-field splitting and facilitates an ordered high-spin state of Co ions, inducing an emergent ferromagnetic-insulating state. Our work provides unique insights into underlying mechanisms driving the ferromagnetic-insulating state in tensile-strained ferroelastic LaCoO3 films while suggesting potential applications toward low-power spintronic devices.

Nanoscale self-organization and metastable non-thermal metallicity in Mott insulators.

Mott transitions in real materials are first order and almost always associated with lattice distortions, both features promoting the emergence of nanotextured phases. This nanoscale self-organization creates spatially inhomogeneous regions, which can host and protect transient non-thermal electronic and lattice states triggered by light excitation. Here, we combine time-resolved X-ray microscopy with a Landau-Ginzburg functional approach for calculating the strain and electronic real-space configurations. We investigate V2O3, the archetypal Mott insulator in which nanoscale self-organization already exists in the low-temperature monoclinic phase and strongly affects the transition towards the high-temperature corundum metallic phase. Our joint experimental-theoretical approach uncovers a remarkable out-of-equilibrium phenomenon: the photo-induced stabilisation of the long sought monoclinic metal phase, which is absent at equilibrium and in homogeneous materials, but emerges as a metastable state solely when light excitation is combined with the underlying nanotexture of the monoclinic lattice.

Defect-driven antiferromagnetic domain walls in CuMnAs films.

Efficient manipulation of antiferromagnetic (AF) domains and domain walls has opened up new avenues of research towards ultrafast, high-density spintronic devices. AF domain structures are known to be sensitive to magnetoelastic effects, but the microscopic interplay of crystalline defects, strain and magnetic ordering remains largely unknown. Here, we reveal, using photoemission electron microscopy combined with scanning X-ray diffraction imaging and micromagnetic simulations, that the AF domain structure in CuMnAs thin films is dominated by nanoscale structural twin defects. We demonstrate that microtwin defects, which develop across the entire thickness of the film and terminate on the surface as characteristic lines, determine the location and orientation of 180∘ and 90∘ domain walls. The results emphasize the crucial role of nanoscale crystalline defects in determining the AF domains and domain walls, and provide a route to optimizing device performance.

Tensor description of X-ray magnetic dichroism at the Fe L2,3-edges of Fe3O4.

A procedure to build the optical conductivity tensor that describes the full magneto-optical response of the system from experimental measurements is presented. Applied to the Fe L2,3-edge of a 38.85 nm Fe3O4/SrTiO3 (001) thin-film, it is shown that the computed polarization dependence using the conductivity tensor is in excellent agreement with that experimentally measured. Furthermore, the magnetic field angular dependence is discussed using a set of fundamental spectra expanded on spherical harmonics. It is shown that the convergence of this expansion depends on the details of the ground state of the system in question and in particular on the valence-state spin-orbit coupling. While a cubic expansion up to the third order explains the angular-dependent X-ray magnetic linear dichroism of Fe3+ well, higher-order terms are required for Fe2+ when the orbital moment is not quenched.

Improving the soft X-ray reflectivity of Cr/Ti multilayers by co-deposition of B4C.

The `water window', covering 2.4-4.4 nm, is an important wavelength range particularly essential to biology research. Cr/Ti multilayers are one of the promising reflecting elements in this region because the near-normal-incidence reflectivity is theoretically as high as 64% at 2.73 nm. However, due to multilayer imperfections, the reported reflectivity is lower than 3% for near-normal incidence. Here, B and C were intentionally incorporated into ultra-thin Cr/Ti soft X-ray multilayers by co-deposition of B4C at the interfaces. The effect on the multilayer structure and composition has been investigated using X-ray reflectometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and cross-section electron microscopy. It is shown that B and C are mainly bonded to Ti sites, forming a nonstoichiometric TiBxCy composition, which hinders the interface diffusion, supresses the crystallization of the Cr/Ti multilayer and dramatically improves the interface quality of Cr/TiBxCy multilayers. As a result, the near-normal-incidence reflectivity of soft X-rays increases from 4.48% to 15.75% at a wavelength of 2.73 nm.

Photoemission core level binding energies from multiple sized nanoparticles on the same support: TiO2(110)/Au.

A novel method of measuring the core level binding energies of multiple sized nanoparticles on the same substrate is demonstrated using the early stage of Au nanoparticle growth on reduced r-TiO2(110). This method employed in situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and microfocused X-ray photoemission spectroscopy. An STM tip-shadowing method was used to synthesize patterned areas of Au nanoparticles on the substrate with different coverages and sizes. Patterns were identified and imaged using a UV photoelectron emission microscope. The Au 4f core level binding energies of the nanoparticles were investigated as a function of Au nanoparticle coverage and size. A combination of initial and final state effects modifies the binding energies of the Au 4f core levels as the nanoparticle size changes. When single Au atoms and Au3 clusters are present, the Au 4f7/2 binding energy, 84.42 eV, is similar to that observed at a high coverage (1.8 monolayer equivalent), resulting from a cancellation of initial and final state effects. As the coverage is increased, there is a decrease in binding energy, which then increases at a higher coverage to 84.39 eV. These results are consistent with a Volmer-Weber nucleation-growth model of Au nanoparticles at oxygen vacancies, resulting in electron transfer to the nanoparticles.

Current polarity-dependent manipulation of antiferromagnetic domains.

Antiferromagnets have several favourable properties as active elements in spintronic devices, including ultra-fast dynamics, zero stray fields and insensitivity to external magnetic fields 1 . Tetragonal CuMnAs is a testbed system in which the antiferromagnetic order parameter can be switched reversibly at ambient conditions using electrical currents 2 . In previous experiments, orthogonal in-plane current pulses were used to induce 90° rotations of antiferromagnetic domains and demonstrate the operation of all-electrical memory bits in a multi-terminal geometry 3 . Here, we demonstrate that antiferromagnetic domain walls can be manipulated to realize stable and reproducible domain changes using only two electrical contacts. This is achieved by using the polarity of the current to switch the sign of the current-induced effective field acting on the antiferromagnetic sublattices. The resulting reversible domain and domain wall reconfigurations are imaged using X-ray magnetic linear dichroism microscopy, and can also be detected electrically. Switching by domain-wall motion can occur at much lower current densities than those needed for coherent domain switching.

Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanowires Formed by Reactive Dewetting.

The growth and reactive dewetting of ultrathin films of iron oxides supported on Re(0001) surfaces have been imaged in situ in real time. Initial growth forms a nonmagnetic stable FeO (wüstite like) layer in a commensurate network upon which high aspect ratio nanowires of several microns in length but less than 40 nm in width can be fabricated. The nanowires are closely aligned with the substrate crystallography and imaging by X-ray magnetic circular dichroism shows that each contain a single magnetic domain. The driving force for dewetting appears to be the minimization of strain energy of the Fe3O4 crystallites and follows the Tersoff and Tromp model in which strain is minimized at constant height by extending in one epitaxially matched direction. Such wires are promising in spintronic applications and we predict that the growth will also occur on other hexagonal substrates.

Quantitative investigation of linear arbitrary polarization in an APPLE-II undulator.

Insertion devices are utilized at synchrotron radiation facilities around the world for their capability to provide a high-brilliance X-ray beam. APPLE-II type undulators are especially important for their capacity to switch between a variety of photon beam polarization states. A high-precision soft X-ray polarimeter has been used to investigate the polarization calibration of an APPLE-II undulator (period length λu = 64 mm) installed on beamline I06 at Diamond Light Source. Systematic measurement of the beam polarization state at a range of linear arbitrary angles has been compared with the expected result for a given set of undulator gap and row phase parameters calculated from theory. Determination of the corresponding Stokes-Poincaré parameters from the measured data reveals a discrepancy between the two. The limited number of energy/polarization combinations included in the undulator calibration tables necessitates the use of interpolated values for the missing points which is expected to contribute to the discrepancy. However, by modifying the orbit of the electron beam through the undulator by at least 160 µm it has been found that for certain linear polarizations the discrepancies can be corrected. Overall, it is suggested that complete correction of the Stokes-Poincaré parameters for all linear angles would require alteration of both these aspects.

Synthetic ferrimagnet nanowires with very low critical current density for coupled domain wall motion.

Domain walls in ferromagnetic nanowires are potential building-blocks of future technologies such as racetrack memories, in which data encoded in the domain walls are transported using spin-polarised currents. However, the development of energy-efficient devices has been hampered by the high current densities needed to initiate domain wall motion. We show here that a remarkable reduction in the critical current density can be achieved for in-plane magnetised coupled domain walls in CoFe/Ru/CoFe synthetic ferrimagnet tracks. The antiferromagnetic exchange coupling between the layers leads to simple Néel wall structures, imaged using photoemission electron and Lorentz transmission electron microscopy, with a width of only ~100 nm. The measured critical current density to set these walls in motion, detected using magnetotransport measurements, is 1.0 × 1011 Am-2, almost an order of magnitude lower than in a ferromagnetically coupled control sample. Theoretical modelling indicates that this is due to nonadiabatic driving of anisotropically coupled walls, a mechanism that can be used to design efficient domain-wall devices.

Robust Interfacial Exchange Bias and Metal-Insulator Transition Influenced by the LaNiO3 Layer Thickness in La0.7Sr0.3MnO3/LaNiO3 Superlattices.

Artificial heterostructures based on LaNiO3 (LNO) have been widely investigated with the aim to realize the insulating antiferromagnetic state of LNO. In this work, we grew [(La0.7Sr0.3MnO3)5-(LaNiO3)n]12 superlattices on (001)-oriented SrTiO3 substrates by pulsed laser deposition and observed an unexpected exchange bias effect in field-cooled hysteresis loops. Through X-ray absorption spectroscopy and magnetic circular dichroism experiments, we found that the charge transfer at the interfacial Mn and Ni ions can induce a localized magnetic moment. A remarkable increase of exchange bias field and a transition from metal to insulator were simultaneously observed upon decreasing the thickness of the LNO layer, indicating the antiferromagnetic insulator state in 2 unit cells LNO ultrathin layers. The robust exchange bias of 745 Oe in the superlattice is caused by an interfacial localized magnetic moment and an antiferromagnetic state in the ultrathin LNO layer, pinning the ferromagnetic La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 layers together. Our results demonstrate that artificial interface engineering is a useful method to realize novel magnetic and transport properties.

Robust Ferromagnetism of Chromium Nanoparticles Formed in Superfluid Helium.

Chromium nanoparticles are formed using superfluid helium droplets as the nanoreactors, which are strongly ferromagnetic. The transition from antiferromagentism to ferromagnetism is attributed to atomic-scale disorder in chromium nanoparticles, leading to abundant unbalanced surface spins. Theoretical modeling confirms a frustrated aggregation process in superfluid helium due to the antiferromagnetic nature of chromium.

Biomineral shell formation under ocean acidification: a shift from order to chaos.

Biomineral production in marine organisms employs transient phases of amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) in the construction of crystalline shells. Increasing seawater pCO2 leads to ocean acidification (OA) with a reduction in oceanic carbonate concentration which could have a negative impact on shell formation and therefore survival. We demonstrate significant changes in the hydrated and dehydrated forms of ACC in the aragonite and calcite layers of Mytilus edulis shells cultured under acidification conditions (1000 µatm pCO2) compared to present day conditions (380 µatm pCO2). In OA conditions, Mytilus edulis has more ACC at crystalisation sites. Here, we use the high-spatial resolution of synchrotron X-ray Photo Emission Electron Microscopy (XPEEM) combined with X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) to investigate the influence of OA on the ACC formation in the shells of adult Mytilus edulis. Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) confirms that OA reduces crystallographic control of shell formation. The results demonstrate that OA induces more ACC formation and less crystallographic control in mussels suggesting that ACC is used as a repair mechanism to combat shell damage under OA. However, the resultant reduced crystallographic control in mussels raises concerns for shell protective function under predation and changing environments.

Investigation of the polarization state of dual APPLE-II undulators.

The use of an APPLE II undulator is extremely important for providing a high-brilliance X-ray beam with the capability to switch between various photon beam polarization states. A high-precision soft X-ray polarimeter has been used to systematically investigate the polarization characteristics of the two helical APPLE II undulators installed on beamline I06 at Diamond Light Source. A simple data acquisition and processing procedure has been developed to determine the Stokes polarization parameters for light polarized at arbitrary linear angles emitted from a single undulator, and for circularly polarized light emitted from both undulators in conjunction with a single-period undulator phasing unit. The purity of linear polarization is found to deteriorate as the polarization angle moves away from the horizontal and vertical modes. Importantly, a negative correlation between the degree of circular polarization and the photon flux has been found when the phasing unit is used.

Influence of support morphology on the bonding of molecules to nanoparticles.

Supported metal nanoparticles form the basis of heterogeneous catalysts. Above a certain nanoparticle size, it is generally assumed that adsorbates bond in an identical fashion as on a semiinfinite crystal. This assumption has allowed the database on metal single crystals accumulated over the past 40 years to be used to model heterogeneous catalysts. Using a surface science approach to CO adsorption on supported Pd nanoparticles, we show that this assumption may be flawed. Near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure measurements, isolated to one nanoparticle, show that CO bonds upright on the nanoparticle top facets as expected from single-crystal data. However, the CO lateral registry differs from the single crystal. Our calculations indicate that this is caused by the strain on the nanoparticle, induced by carpet growth across the substrate step edges. This strain also weakens the CO-metal bond, which will reduce the energy barrier for catalytic reactions, including CO oxidation.

Data Analysis WorkbeNch (DAWN).

Synchrotron light source facilities worldwide generate terabytes of data in numerous incompatible data formats from a wide range of experiment types. The Data Analysis WorkbeNch (DAWN) was developed to address the challenge of providing a single visualization and analysis platform for data from any synchrotron experiment (including single-crystal and powder diffraction, tomography and spectroscopy), whilst also being sufficiently extensible for new specific use case analysis environments to be incorporated (e.g. ARPES, PEEM). In this work, the history and current state of DAWN are presented, with two case studies to demonstrate specific functionality. The first is an example of a data processing and reduction problem using the generic tools, whilst the second shows how these tools can be targeted to a specific scientific area.

Perpendicular local magnetization under voltage control in Ni films on ferroelectric BaTiO3 substrates.

High-resolution magnetoelectric imaging is used to demonstrate electrical control of the perpendicular local magnetization associated with 125 nm-wide magnetic stripe domains in 100-nm-thick Ni films. This magnetoelectric coupling is achieved in zero magnetic field using strain from ferroelectric BaTiO3 substrates to control perpendicular anisotropy imposed by the growth stress. These findings may be exploited for perpendicular recording in nanopatterned hybrid media.

Exchange bias in Fe@Cr core-shell nanoparticles.

We have used X-ray magnetic circular dichroism and magnetometry to study isolated Fe@Cr core-shell nanoparticles with an Fe core diameter of 2.7 nm (850 atoms) and a Cr shell thickness varying between 1 and 2 monolayers. The addition of Cr shells significantly reduces the spin moment but does not change the orbital moment. At least two Cr atomic layers are required to stabilize a ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic interface and generate the associated exchange bias and increase in coercivity.

Magnetic imaging by x-ray holography using extended references.

We demonstrate magnetic lensless imaging by Fourier transform holography using extended references. A narrow slit milled through an opaque gold mask is used as a holographic reference and magnetic contrast is obtained by x-ray magnetic circular dichroism. We present images of magnetic domains in a Co/Pt multilayer thin film with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. This technique holds advantages over standard Fourier transform holography, where small holes are used to define the reference beam. An increased intensity through the extended reference reduces the counting time to record the farfield diffraction pattern. Additionally it was found that manufacturing narrow slits is less technologically demanding than the same procedure for holes. We achieve a spatial resolution of ∼30 nm, which was found to be limited by the sample period of the chosen experimental setup.