2 research outputs found
Tuning the magnetic anisotropy of Co nanoparticles by metal capping
The magnetic anisotropy of Co clusters with diameters ranging from 1.1 nm to 4.5 nm turns out to be significantly larger than in bulk and strongly increasing with decreasing cluster size. The dominating role of the surface can be used to modify the anisotropy by changing the electronic properties of the matrix surrounding the clusters. We find that capping the clusters by a metallic (Cu and Au) layer significantly enhances the anisotropy, thus also stabilizing the magnetization against thermal fluctuations. The observed anisotropy enhancement is attributed to the bonding of the Co 3d electrons to the conduction band of the capping layer, which depends on the electronic band structures of both metals.Peer reviewe
Tuning the magnetic anisotropy of
The magnetic anisotropy of Co clusters with diameters ranging from
1.1\un{nm} to 4.5\un{nm} turns out to be significantly larger than
in bulk and strongly increasing with decreasing cluster size. The
dominating role of the surface can be used to modify the anisotropy
by changing the electronic properties of the matrix surrounding the
clusters. We find that capping the clusters by a metallic (Cu and
Au) layer significantly enhances the anisotropy, thus also
stabilizing the magnetization against thermal fluctuations. The
observed anisotropy enhancement is attributed to the bonding of the
Co electrons to the conduction band of the capping layer, which
depends on the electronic band structures of both metals