Imaging of room-temperature ferromagnetic nano-domains at the surface of a non-magnetic oxide.

ABSTRACT: Two-dimensional electron gases at oxide surfaces or interfaces show exotic ordered states of matter, like superconductivity, magnetism or spin-polarized states, and are a promising platform for alternative oxide-based electronics. Here we directly image a dense population of randomly distributed ferromagnetic domains of ?40?nm typical sizes at room temperature at the oxygen-deficient surface of SrTiO3, a non-magnetic transparent insulator in the bulk. We use laser-based photoemission electron microscopy, an experimental technique that gives selective spin detection of the surface carriers, even in bulk insulators, with a high spatial resolution of 2.6?nm. We furthermore find that the Curie temperature in this system is as high as 900?K. These findings open perspectives for applications in nano-domain magnetism and spintronics using oxide-based devices, for instance through the nano-engineering of oxygen vacancies at surfaces or interfaces of transition-metal oxides.

SUBMITTER: Taniuchi T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4906390 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature