2021/09/08 by Roberto Lo Conte, Maciej Bazarnik, Krisztián Palotás +7
Chemistry · Materials Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Antiferromagnetism #Chemistry #Computational chemistry #Condensed matter physics #Density functional theory #Ferromagnetism #Iron-based superconductors research #Magnetic properties of thin films #Materials science #Physics #Physics of Superconductivity and Magnetism #Scanning tunneling microscope #Scanning tunneling spectroscopy #Spin (aerodynamics) #Spintronics #Substrate (aquarium) #Superconductivity #cond-mat.mes-hall
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevb.105.l100406
13 pages, 4 figures
arxiv created 2021/09/08 · openalex publication_date 2022/03/10 · arxiv updated 2022/03/23 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We report on the structural and magnetic properties of single and double atomic layers of Mn on a clean and unreconstructed Nb(110) substrate. Low-temperature scanning tunneling spectroscopy measurements reveal a proximity-induced superconducting state in the Mn thin films, which are found to grow pseudomorphically on the Nb surface. Spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy measurements reveal a c(2x2) antiferromagnetic order in the Mn layers, with an out-of-plane spin-orientation. First-principles density functional theory calculations confirm the experimentally observed magnetic state, which is understood as the consequence of a strong intra- and inter-layer nearest-neighbor antiferromagnetic exchange coupling. These results are expected to be of importance for the design and the investigation of novel superconducting antiferromagnetic spintronic systems.