Fe Nanoclusters on the Ge(001) Surface Studied by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy, Density Functional Theory Calculations and X-Ray Magnetic Circular Dichroism

Summary, in English

The growth of Fe nanoclusters on the Ge(001) surface has been studied using low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. STM results indicate that Fe nucleates on the Ge(001) surface, forming well-ordered nanoclusters of uniform size. Depending on the preparation conditions, two types of nanoclusters were observed having either four or sixteen Fe atoms within a nanocluster. The results were confirmed by DFT calculations. Annealing the nanoclusters at 420 K leads to the formation of nanorow structures, due to cluster mobility at such temperature. The Fe nanoclusters and nanorow structures formed on the Ge(001) surface show a superparamagnetic behaviour as measured by X-ray magnetic circular dichroism.

• Författare: Olaf Luebben; Sergey A. Krasnikov; Alexei Preobrajenski; Barry E. Murphy; Igor V. Shvets
• Avdelning/ar: MAX IV-laboratoriet
• Publiceringsår: 2011
• Språk: Engelska
• Sidor: 971-978
• Publikation/Tidskrift/Serie: Nano Reseach
• Volym: 4
• Issue: 10
• Länkar: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12274-011-0153-6
• Dokumenttyp: Artikel i tidskrift
• Förlag: Springer
• Ämne: Natural Sciences; Physical Sciences
• Nyckelord: Ge(001); iron nanoclusters; self-assembly; scanning tunnelling; microscopy; X-ray magnetic circular dichroism; density functional; theory calculations
• Status: Published
• ISBN/ISSN/Övrigt: ISSN: 1998-0124