Growth-mode investigation of epitaxial EuS on InAs(100)

A persistent challenge in the field of spintronics is the search for suitable materials that enable the circumvention of the impedance mismatch preventing efficient spin-injection from metallic ferromagnetic conductors into semiconductors. One promising material is europium sulfide (EuS), a ferromagnetic semiconductor below the Curie temperature of 16.5 K. Investigation and optimization of the conditions required for high-quality growth of epitaxial EuS films on suitable substrates are thus of particular interest for the creation of efficient devices. We present the results of a growth-mode study employing atomic force microscopy and spot-profile analysis low-energy electron diffraction (SPA-LEED) of epitaxial EuS thin films deposited by electron-beam evaporation on InAs(100) substrates with varying combinations of, respectively, growth and annealing temperatures, Tg and Ta, from room temperature to 400 °C. We observed Stranski-Krastanov-like growth featuring low-roughness surfaces with root mean square values between 0.4 – 0.9 nm for all temperature combinations. An increased tendency for nucleation into grains and islands was observed for higher Ta from 300 – 400 °C. The corresponding nucleation mode, defined by varying degrees of 2D and 3D nucleation, was dependent on Tg. A 2D island growth mode was observed for Tg = 150 °C and Ta = 400 °C featuring a sharp and bright SPA-LEED pattern. This suggests the formation of a highly ordered, smooth surface for these growth conditions thereby providing a good starting point for optimization attempts for potential future devices

Spin injection from EuS/Co multilayers into GaAs detected by polarized electroluminescence

We report on the successful spin injection from EuS/Co multilayers into (100) GaAs at low temperatures. The spin injection was verified by means of polarized electroluminescence (EL) emitted from AlGaAs/GaAs-based spin-light-emitting diodes in zero external magnetic field. Spin-polarized electrons were injected from prototype EuS/Co spin injector multilayers. The use of semiconducting and ferromagnetic EuS circumvents the impedance mismatch. The EL was measured in side emission with and without an external magnetic field. A circular polarization of 5% at 8 K and 0 T was observed. In view of the rather rough interface between the GaAs substrate and first EuS layer, improvement of the interface quality is expected to considerably enhance the injected electron spin polarization

Verification of antiferromagnetic exchange coupling at room temperature using polar magneto-optic Kerr effect in thin EuS/Co multilayers with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy

We report on magneto-optic Kerr measurements in polar geometry carried out on a series of thin Co/EuS multilayers on suitable Co/Pd-multilayer substrates. Thin Co/EuS multilayers of a few nanometers individual layer thickness usually have their magnetization in plane. Co/Pd multilayers introduce a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in the Co/EuS layers deposited on top, thus making it possible to measure magneto-optic signals in the polar geometry in remanence in order to study exchange coupling. Magneto-optic Kerr-effect spectra and hysteresis loops were recorded in the visible and ultraviolet photon-energy range at room temperature. The EuS contribution to the magneto-optic signal is extracted at 4.1 eV by combining hysteresis loops measured at different photon energies with polar magneto-optic Kerr-effect spectra recorded in remanence and in an applied magnetic field of 2.2 T. The extracted EuS signal shows clear signs of antiferromagnetic coupling of the Eu magnetic moments to the Co layers. This implies that the ordering temperature of at least a fraction of the EuS layers is above room temperature proving that magneto-optic Kerr- effect spectroscopy can be used here as a quasi-element-specific method

Direct evidence for significant spin-polarization of EuS in Co/EuS multilayers at room temperature

The new era of spintronics promises the development of nanodevices, where the electron spin will be used to store information and charge currents will be replaced by spin currents. For this, ferromagnetic semiconductors at room temperature are needed. We report on significant room-temperature spin polarization of EuS in Co/EuS multilayers recorded by x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD). The films were found to contain a mixture of divalent and trivalent europium, but only Eu11 is responsible for the ferromagnetic behavior of EuS. The magnetic XMCD signal of Eu at room temperature could unambiguously be assigned to magnetic ordering of EuS and was found to be only one order of magnitude smaller than that at 2.5 K. The room temperature magnetic moment of EuS is as large as the one of bulk ferromagnetic Ni. Our findings pave the path for fabrication of room–temperature spintronic devices using spin polarized EuS layers

Paramagnetic gold in a highly disordered Au-Ni-O alloy

Magnetic materials are usually classified into a distinct category such as diamagnets, paramagnets or ferromagnets. The enormous progress in materials science allows one nowadays, however, to change the magnetic nature of an element in a material. Gold, in bulk form, is traditionally a diamagnet. But in a ferromagnetic environment, it can adopt an induced ferromagnetic moment. Moreover, the growth of gold under certain conditions may lead to a spontaneous ferromagnetic or paramagnetic response. Here, we report on paramagnetic gold in a highly disordered Au–Ni–O alloy and focus on the unusual magnetic response. Such materials are mainly considered for plasmonic applications. Thin films containing Au, Ni and NiO are fabricated by co-deposition of Ni and Au in a medium vacuum of 2 × 10−2 mbar. As a result, Au is in a fully disordered state forming in some cases isolated nanocrystallites of up to 4 nm in diameter as revealed by high resolution transmission electron microscopy. The disorder and the environment, which is rich in oxygen, lead to remarkable magnetic properties of Au: an induced ferromagnetic and a paramagnetic state. This can be proven by measuring the x-ray magnetic circular dichroism. Our experiments show a way to establish and monitor Au paramagnetism in alloys