Real-space study of the growth of magnesium on ruthenium

The growth of magnesium on ruthenium has been studied by low-energy electron microscopy (LEEM) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). In LEEM, a layer-by-layer growth is observed except in the first monolayer, where the completion of the first layer in inferred by a clear peak in electron reflectivity. Desorption from the films is readily observable at 400 K. Real-space STM and low-energy electron diffraction confirm that sub-monolayer coverage presents a moir\'e pattern with a 1.2 nm periodicity, which evolves with further Mg deposition by compressing the Mg layer to a 2.2 nm periodicity. Layer-by-layer growth is followed in LEEM up to 10 ML. On films several ML thick a substantial density of stacking faults are observed by dark-field imaging on large terraces of the substrate, while screw dislocations appear in the stepped areas. The latter are suggested to result from the mismatch in heights of the Mg and Ru steps. Quantum size effect oscillations in the reflected LEEM intensity are observed as a function of thickness, indicating an abrupt Mg/Ru interface.Comment: 21 pages, 10 figure

Micromagnetism in (001) magnetite by spin-polarized low-energy electron microscopy

Spin-polarized low-energy electron microscopy was used to image a magnetite crystal with (100) surface orientation. Sets of spin-dependent images of magnetic domain patterns observed in this surface were used to map the direction of the magnetization vector with high spatial and angular resolution. We find that domains are magnetized along the surface [110] directions, and domain wall structures include 90{\deg} and 180{\deg} walls. A type of unusually curved domain walls are interpreted as N\'eel-capped surface terminations of 180{\deg} Bloch walls.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures. Presented at the LEEM-PEEM 8 conferenc

Magnetism of epitaxial Tb films on W(110) studied by spin-polarized low-energy electron microscopy

Thin epitaxial films of Tb metal were grown on a clean W(110) substrate in ultrahigh vacuum and studied in situ by low-energy electron microscopy. Annealed films present magnetic contrast in spin-polarized low-energy electron microscopy. The energy dependence of the electron reflectivity was determined and a maximum value of its spin asymmetry of about 1% was measured. The magnetization direction of the Tb films is in-plane. Upon raising the temperature, no change in the domain distribution is observed, while the asymmetry in the electron reflectivity decreases when approaching the critical temperature, following a power law ∼(1-T/TC)β with a critical exponent β of 0.39.This research was partly supported by Spain under Projects No.MAT2014-52477-C5-5-P, No.MAT2015-64110-C02-1-P (MINECO), and No. FIS2008-01431 (MICINN). Experiments were performed at the National Center for Electron Microscopy, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, supported by the Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Scientific User Facilities Division, of the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231.Peer Reviewe

Galones de librea con escudos de armas de familias cubanas

The heraldic livery ribbons of Cuban colonial families acquired the category of collectibles in a short amount of time due to their high interest as decorative elements. This combined with certain nostalgia evocative of customs and characters from past times gives a distinctive rank to the sugar aristocracy that led the economic development of Cuba in the 18th and 19th century. The heraldic livery ribbons are also a testimony and a valuable source of information of a period in Cuban history.Los galones de librea heráldicos de familias coloniales cubanas, en poco tiempo adquirieron la categoría de objetos coleccionables por su alto interés como elementos decorativos, combinado esto con cierta nostalgia evocadora de costumbres y de personajes de tiempos pasados. Constituyen un rango distintivo de la aristocracia azucarera que lideró el desarrollo económico de Cuba en los siglos XVIII y XIX, son un testimonio y una valiosa fuente de información de una etapa de la historia cubana

Magnetism in nanometer-thick magnetite

The oldest known magnetic material, magnetite, is of current interest for use in spintronics as a thin film. An open question is how thin can magnetite films be and still retain the robust ferrimagnetism required for many applications. We have grown one-nanometer-thick magnetite crystals and characterized them in situ by electron and photoelectron microscopies including selected-area x-ray circular dichroism. Well-defined magnetic patterns are observed in individual nano-crystals up to at least 520 K, establishing the retention of ferrimagnetism in magnetite two-unit-cells thick.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Imaging Spin Reorientation Transitions in Consecutive Atomic Co layers

By means of spin-polarized low-energy electron microscopy (SPLEEM) we show that the magnetic easy-axis of one to three atomic-layer thick cobalt films on ruthenium crystals changes its orientation twice during deposition: one-monolayer and three-monolayer thick films are magnetized in-plane, while two-monolayer films are magnetized out-of-plane, with a Curie temperature well above room temperature. Fully-relativistic calculations based on the Screened Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker (SKKR) method demonstrate that only for two-monolayer cobalt films the interplay between strain, surface and interface effects leads to perpendicular magnetization.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures. Presented at the 2005 ECOSS conference in Berlin, and at the 2005 Fall meeting of the MRS. Accepted for publication at Phys. Rev. Lett., after minor change