Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2-4-2015

Publication Title

New Journal of Physics

Abstract

We demonstrate a canted magnetization of biatomic zigzag Co chains grown on the (5 × 1) reconstructed Ir(001) surface using density functional theory (DFT) calculations and spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy (SP-STM) experiments. It is observed by STM that biatomic Co chains grow in three different structural configurations. Our DFT calculations show that they are all in a ferromagnetic (FM) state. Two chain types possess high symmetry due to two equivalent atomic strands and an easy magnetization direction that is along one of the principal crystallographic axes. The easy magnetization axis of the zigzag Co chains is canted away from the surface normal by an angle of 33°. This giant effect is caused by the broken chain symmetry on the substrate in combination with the strong spin–orbit coupling of Ir. SP-STM measurements confirm the stable FM order of the zigzag chains with a canted magnetization.

DOI

10.1088/1367-2630/17/2/023014

Version

Publisher's PDF

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Volume

17

Included in

Physics Commons

Share

COinS