High Resolution Tips for Switching Magnetization MFM

Switching magnetization magnetic force microscopy (SM-MFM) is based on two-pass magnetic force microscopy with opposite orientation of tip magnetization between two scans. The sum of the scanned data with reversed tip magnetization depicts local van der Waals forces, and their difference maps the local magnetic forces. Tip magnetization can be easily reversed in external magnetic field during the scanning. The separation of the forces mapped enables scanning in close proximity of the sample (~5 nm). Therefore, extremely high spatial resolution (10 nm) is achievable by the SM-MFM. Image phase resolution of the MFM method depends on various geometric parameters of the tip, such as tip length, its apex radius and taper angle. The parameters are determined by the evaporation process, within which the standard atomic force microscopy tips are coated with magnetic layer. In this work we show that the thickness of the coated layer is important for the SM-MFM spatial resolution

Vortex Dynamics in Ferromagnetic Nanoelements Observed by Micro-Hall Probes

In this work we measure the nucleation and annihilation of magnetic vortices in Pacman-like (PL) micromagnets prepared from Permalloy ($Ni_{81}Fe_{19}$, Py) at 77 K. Lateral dimensions of explored objects are ≤1 μm with thickness of about 40 nm. The micromagnets are located directly on the high-sensitive micro-Hall probe based on GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure by lift-off process. Experiments show good agreement of the magnetization reversal with the micromagnetic simulation. Other shapes of micromagnets are also considered to obtain more precise picture of the vortex dynamics

Synthesis of Two-Dimensional Nb1.33C (MXene) with Randomly Distributed Vacancies by Etching of the Quaternary Solid Solution (Nb2/3Sc1/3)2AlC MAX Phase

Introducing point defects in two-dimensional (2D) materials can alter or enhance their properties. Here, we demonstrate how etching a laminated (Nb2/3Sc1/3)2AlC MAX phase (solid solution) of both the Sc and Al atoms results in a 2D Nb1.33C material (MXene) with a large number of vacancies and vacancy clusters. This method is applicable to any quaternary, or higher, MAX phase, wherein one of the transition metals is more reactive than the other and could be of vital importance in applications such as catalysis and energy storage. We also report, for the first time, on the existence of solid solution (Nb2/3Sc1/3)3AlC2 and (Nb2/3Sc1/3)4AlC3 phases.Funding agencies:We acknowledge support from the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research through the Synergy Grant FUNCASE and Research Infrastructure Fellowship RIF 14-0074 and from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg (KAW) Foundation for Fellowship Grants, Project funding (KAW 2015.0043), and support toward the Linkoping Electron Microscopy Laboratory. The Swedish Research Council is gratefully acknowledged for Projects 642-2013-8020 and 621-2014-4890. We also acknowledge the Swedish Government Strategic Research Area in Materials Science on Functional Materials at Linkoping University (Faculty Grant SFO-Mat-LiU No. 2009-00971).</p

Evolution of Metastable Defects and Its Effect on the Electronic Properties of MoS2 Films

AbstractWe report on structural and electronic properties of defects in chemical vapor-deposited monolayer and few-layer MoS2 films. Scanning tunneling microscopy, Kelvin probe force microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy were used to obtain high resolution images and quantitative measurements of the local density of states, work function and nature of defects in MoS2 films. We track the evolution of defects that are formed under heating and electron beam irradiation. We observe formation of metastable domains with different work function values after annealing the material in ultra-high vacuum to moderate temperatures. We attribute these metastable values of the work function to evolution of crystal defects forming during the annealing. The experiments show that sulfur vacancies formed after exposure to elevated temperatures diffuse, coalesce, and migrate bringing the system from a metastable to equilibrium ground state. The process could be thermally or e-beam activated with estimated energy barrier for sulfur vacancy migration of 0.6 eV in single unit cell MoS2. Even at equilibrium conditions, the work function and local density of states values are strongly affected near grain boundaries and edges. The results provide initial estimates of the thermal budgets available for reliable fabrication of MoS2-based integrated electronics and indicate the importance of defect control and layer passivation.</jats:p

Synthesis of Two-Dimensional Nb_1.33C (MXene) with Randomly Distributed Vacancies by Etching of the Quaternary Solid Solution (Nb_2/3Sc_1/3)₂AlC MAX Phase

Introducing point defects in two-dimensional (2D) materials can alter or enhance their properties. Here, we demonstrate how etching a laminated (Nb_2/3Sc_1/3)₂AlC MAX phase (solid solution) of both the Sc and Al atoms results in a 2D Nb_1.33C material (MXene) with a large number of vacancies and vacancy clusters. This method is applicable to any quaternary, or higher, MAX phase, wherein one of the transition metals is more reactive than the other and could be of vital importance in applications such as catalysis and energy storage. We also report, for the first time, on the existence of solid solution (Nb_2/3Sc_1/3)₃AlC₂ and (Nb_2/3Sc_1/3)₄AlC₃ phases