2013/09/24 by Bertrand Dupé, Dupé, Bertrand, Jessica E. Bickel +15
Physics and Astronomy · #FOS: Physical sciences #Magnetic properties of thin films #Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) #Quantum and electron transport phenomena #Surface and Thin Film Phenomena #cond-mat.mes-hall
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1309.6312
5 pages, 5 figures
arxiv created 2013/09/24 · openalex publication_date 2013/09/24 · arxiv updated 2013/09/26 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We demonstrate a canted magnetization of biatomic zigzag Co chains grown on the 5 x 1 reconstructed Ir(001) surface using density functional theory calculations and spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy (SP-STM) experiments. Biatomic Co chains grow in three different structural configurations and are all in a ferromagnetic state. Two chain types possess high symmetry due to two equivalent atomic strands and an easy magnetization direction which is along one of the principal crystallographic axes. The easy magnetization axis of the zigzag Co chains is canted away from the surface normal by an angle of 33 degrees. This giant effect is caused by the broken chain symmetry on the substrate in combination with the strong spin-orbit coupling of Ir. SP-STM measurements confirm stable ferromagnetic order of the zigzag chains with a canted magnetization.