Determination of the cation site distribution of the spinel in multiferroic CoFe2O4 / BaTiO3 layers by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

International audienceThe properties of CoFe2O4/BaTiO3 artificial multiferroic multilayers strongly depend on the crystalline structure, the stoichiometry and the cation distribution between octahedral (Oh) and tetrahedral (Td) sites (inversion factor). In the present study, we have investigated epitaxial CoFe2O4 layers grown on BaTiO3, with different Co/Fe ratios. We determined the cation distribution in our samples by X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD), a well accepted method to do so, and by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), using a fitting method based on physical considerations. We observed that our XPS approach converged on results consistent with XMCD measurements made on the same samples. Thus, within a careful decomposition based on individual chemical environments it is shown that XPS is fully able to determine the actual inversion factor

Ultralow-temperature device dedicated to soft X-ray magnetic circular dichroism experiments

A new ultralow-temperature setup dedicated to soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) experiments is described. Two experiments, performed on the DEIMOS beamline (SOLEIL synchrotron), demonstrate the outstanding performance of this new platform in terms of the lowest achievable temperature under X-ray irradiation (T = 220 mK), the precision in controlling the temperature during measurements as well as the speed of the cooling-down and warming-up procedures. Moreover, owing to the new design of the setup, the eddy-current power is strongly reduced, allowing fast scanning of the magnetic field in XMCD experiments; these performances lead to a powerful device for X-ray spectroscopies on synchrotron-radiation beamlines facilities

DEIMOS: A beamline dedicated to dichroism measurements in the 350-2500 eV energy range:

The DEIMOS (Dichroism Experimental Installation for Magneto-Optical Spectroscopy) beamline was part of the second phase of the beamline development at French Synchrotron SOLEIL (Source Optimisee de Lumiere a Energie Intermediaire du LURE) and opened to users in March 2011. It delivers polarized soft x-rays to perform x-ray absorption spectroscopy, x-ray magnetic circular dichroism, and x-ray linear dichroism in the energy range 350-2500 eV. The beamline has been optimized for stability and reproducibility in terms of photon flux and photon energy. The main end-station consists in a cryo-magnet with 2 split coils providing a 7 T magnetic field along the beam or 2 T perpendicular to the beam with a controllable temperature on the sample from 370 K down to 1.5 K. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC

Kondo screening of the spin and orbital magnetic moments of Fe impurities in Cu

We demonstrate by analysing a model dilute Kondo alloy that x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) is able to evidence the Kondo regime. The temperature evolution of the d spin and orbital magnetic moments of Fe impurities in highly diluted Cu:Fe alloys is measured. XMCD is also a unique technique which enables the direct and separate measurement of the spin and orbital moments of a Kondo impurity

Magnetism of TbPc2 SMMs on ferromagnetic electrodes used in organic spintronics

none16Structural features and magnetic behaviour of TbPc2 thin films sublimated on LSMO and on cobalt surfaces have been investigated by synchrotron-based XNLD and XMCD techniques. Different orientation of the molecules is observed for the two substrates. No significant magnetic interaction with the ferromagnetic substrates is detected.Luigi Malavolti;Lorenzo Poggini;Ludovica Margheriti;Daniele Chiappe;Patrizio Graziosi;Brunetto Cortigiani;Valeria Lanzilotto;F. Buatier de Mongeot;Philippe Ohresser;Edwige Otero;Philippe Sainctavit;Fadi Choueikani;Ilaria Bergenti;Alek V Dediu;Matteo Mannini;Roberta SessoliLuigi, Malavolti; Lorenzo, Poggini; Ludovica, Margheriti; Chiappe, Daniele; Patrizio, Graziosi; Brunetto, Cortigiani; Valeria, Lanzilotto; BUATIER DE MONGEOT, Francesco; Philippe, Ohresser; Edwige, Otero; Philippe, Sainctavit; Fadi, Choueikani; Ilaria, Bergenti; Alek V., Dediu; Matteo, Mannini; Roberta, Sessol

Room-temperature-persistent magnetic interaction between coordination complexes and nanoparticles in maghemite-based nanohybrids

International audienceMaghemite nanoparticles functionalised with Co(II) coordination complexes at their surface show a significant increase of their magnetic anisotropy, leading to a doubling of the blocking temperature and a sixfold increase of the coercive field. Magnetometric studies suggest an enhancement that is not related to surface disordering, and point to a molecular effect involving magnetic exchange interactions mediated by the oxygen atoms at the interface as its source. Field- and temperature-dependent X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) studies show that the magnetic anisotropy enhancement is not limited to surface atoms and involves the core of the nanoparticle. These studies also point to a mechanism driven by anisotropic exchange and confirm the strength of the magnetic exchange interactions. The coupling between the complex and the nanoparticle persists at room temperature. Simulations based on the XMCD data give an effective exchange field value through the oxido coordination bridge between the Co(II) complex and the nanoparticle that is comparable to the exchange field between iron ions in bulk maghemite. Further evidence of the effectiveness of the oxido coordination bridge in mediating the magnetic interaction at the interface is given with the Ni(II) analog to the Co(II) surface-functionalised nanoparticles. A substrate-induced magnetic response is observed for the Ni(II) complexes, up to room temperature

Enhancing the magnetic anisotropy of maghemite nanoparticles via the surface coordination of molecular complexes

International audienceSuperparamagnetic nanoparticles are promising objects for data storage or medical applications. In the smallest—and more attractive—systems, the properties are governed by the magnetic anisotropy. Here we report a molecule-based synthetic strategy to enhance this anisotropy in sub-10-nm nanoparticles. It consists of the fabrication of composite materials where anisotropic molecular complexes are coordinated to the surface of the nanoparticles. Reacting 5nm g-Fe2O3 nanoparticles with the [CoII(TPMA)Cl2] complex (TPMA: tris(2- pyridylmethyl)amine) leads to the desired composite materials and the characterization of the functionalized nanoparticles evidences the successful coordination—without nanoparticle aggregation and without complex dissociation—of the molecular complexes to the nano- particles surface. Magnetic measurements indicate the significant enhancement of the ani- sotropy in the final objects. Indeed, the functionalized nanoparticles show a threefold increase of the blocking temperature and a coercive field increased by one order of magnitude