Crystallographic structure of ultrathin Fe films on Cu(100)

We report the observation of bcc-like crystal structures in 2-4 monolayer (ML) Fe films grown on fcc Cu(100) using scanning tunneling microscopy. The local bcc structure provides a straightforward explanation for their frequently reported outstanding magnetic properties, i.e., ferromagnetic ordering...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review letters 2001-08, Vol.87 (8), p.086103-086103, Article 086103
Main Authors: Biedermann, A, Tscheliessnig, R, Schmid, M, Varga, P
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
CURIE POINT
MAGNETIC PROPERTIES
MATERIALS SCIENCE
SCANNING TUNNELING MICROSCOPY
STRESSES
THICKNESS
THIN FILMS
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Summary:We report the observation of bcc-like crystal structures in 2-4 monolayer (ML) Fe films grown on fcc Cu(100) using scanning tunneling microscopy. The local bcc structure provides a straightforward explanation for their frequently reported outstanding magnetic properties, i.e., ferromagnetic ordering in all layers with a Curie temperature above 300 K. The nonpseudomorphic structure, which becomes pseudomorphic above 4 ML film thickness, is unexpected in terms of conventional rules of thin film growth and stresses the importance of finite thickness effects in ferromagnetic ultrathin films.
ISSN:0031-9007
1079-7114
DOI:10.1103/physrevlett.87.086103