24,577 research outputs found
Probing a spin transfer controlled magnetic nanowire with a single nitrogen-vacancy spin in bulk diamond
The point-like nature and exquisite magnetic field sensitivity of the
nitrogen vacancy (NV) center in diamond can provide information about the inner
workings of magnetic nanocircuits in complement with traditional transport
techniques. Here we use a single NV in bulk diamond to probe the stray field of
a ferromagnetic nanowire controlled by spin transfer (ST) torques. We first
report an unambiguous measurement of ST tuned, parametrically driven,
large-amplitude magnetic oscillations. At the same time, we demonstrate that
such magnetic oscillations alone can directly drive NV spin transitions,
providing a potential new means of control. Finally, we use the NV as a local
noise thermometer, observing strong ST damping of the stray field noise,
consistent with magnetic cooling from room temperature to 150 K.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, plus supplementary informatio
Spatiotemporal Mapping of Photocurrent in a Monolayer Semiconductor Using a Diamond Quantum Sensor
The detection of photocurrents is central to understanding and harnessing the
interaction of light with matter. Although widely used, transport-based
detection averages over spatial distributions and can suffer from low
photocarrier collection efficiency. Here, we introduce a contact-free method to
spatially resolve local photocurrent densities using a proximal quantum
magnetometer. We interface monolayer MoS2 with a near-surface ensemble of
nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond and map the generated photothermal current
distribution through its magnetic field profile. By synchronizing the
photoexcitation with dynamical decoupling of the sensor spin, we extend the
sensor's quantum coherence and achieve sensitivities to alternating current
densities as small as 20 nA per micron. Our spatiotemporal measurements reveal
that the photocurrent circulates as vortices, manifesting the Nernst effect,
and rises with a timescale indicative of the system's thermal properties. Our
method establishes an unprecedented probe for optoelectronic phenomena, ideally
suited to the emerging class of two-dimensional materials, and stimulates
applications towards large-area photodetectors and stick-on sources of magnetic
fields for quantum control.Comment: 19 pages, 4 figure
A High-Resolution Combined Scanning Laser- and Widefield Polarizing Microscope for Imaging at Temperatures from 4 K to 300 K
Polarized light microscopy, as a contrast-enhancing technique for optically
anisotropic materials, is a method well suited for the investigation of a wide
variety of effects in solid-state physics, as for example birefringence in
crystals or the magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE). We present a microscopy
setup that combines a widefield microscope and a confocal scanning laser
microscope with polarization-sensitive detectors. By using a high numerical
aperture objective, a spatial resolution of about 240 nm at a wavelength of 405
nm is achieved. The sample is mounted on a He continuous flow cryostat
providing a temperature range between 4 K and 300 K, and electromagnets are
used to apply magnetic fields of up to 800 mT with variable in-plane
orientation and 20 mT with out-of-plane orientation. Typical applications of
the polarizing microscope are the imaging of the in-plane and out-of-plane
magnetization via the longitudinal and polar MOKE, imaging of magnetic flux
structures in superconductors covered with a magneto-optical indicator film via
Faraday effect or imaging of structural features, such as twin-walls in
tetragonal SrTiO. The scanning laser microscope furthermore offers the
possibility to gain local information on electric transport properties of a
sample by detecting the beam-induced voltage change across a current-biased
sample. This combination of magnetic, structural and electric imaging
capabilities makes the microscope a viable tool for research in the fields of
oxide electronics, spintronics, magnetism and superconductivity.Comment: 14 pages, 11 figures. The following article has been accepted by
Review of Scientific Instruments. After it is published, it will be found at
http://aip.scitation.org/journal/rs
The Band Excitation Method in Scanning Probe Microscopy for Rapid Mapping of Energy Dissipation on the Nanoscale
Mapping energy transformation pathways and dissipation on the nanoscale and
understanding the role of local structure on dissipative behavior is a
challenge for imaging in areas ranging from electronics and information
technologies to efficient energy production. Here we develop a novel Scanning
Probe Microscopy (SPM) technique in which the cantilever is excited and the
response is recorded over a band of frequencies simultaneously rather than at a
single frequency as in conventional SPMs. This band excitation (BE) SPM allows
very rapid acquisition of the full frequency response at each point (i.e.
transfer function) in an image and in particular enables the direct measurement
of energy dissipation through the determination of the Q-factor of the
cantilever-sample system. The BE method is demonstrated for force-distance and
voltage spectroscopies and for magnetic dissipation imaging with sensitivity
close to the thermomechanical limit. The applicability of BE for various SPMs
is analyzed, and the method is expected to be universally applicable to all
ambient and liquid SPMs.Comment: 32 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in Nanotechnolog
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