Realization of metastable ideal and inverted Mn monolayers on Ag(001)

• Published in: Surface science 1998-03, Vol.400 (1), p.95-108
• Main Authors: Schieffer, P., Krembel, C., Hanf, M.C., Gewinner, G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Angle resolved photoemission; Applied sciences; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Epitaxy; Exact sciences and technology; Low energy electron diffraction (LEED); Metals. Metallurgy; Metal–metal magnetic thin film structures; Photoelectron diffraction; Physics; Structure and morphology; thickness; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Thin film structure and morphology
• ISSN: 0039-6028; 1879-2758
• DOI: 10.1016/S0039-6028(97)00846-7

We demonstrate the growth of nearly ideal Mn/Ag(001) and inverted two-dimensional Ag/Mn/Ag(001) monolayer structures with a good degree of perfection by photoelectron diffraction and valence-band photoemission. A flat, ordered monolayer on Ag(001) stable up to ∼130 K is obtained by deposition of ∼0.9 monolayers at 80 K. An inverted subsurface or sandwich monolayer stable up to ∼330 K is achieved by further deposition of ∼1 ML Ag at 80 K and subsequent annealing at room temperature. There is evidence that these structures continue the Ag fcc lattice with a Mn atomic volume as large as that of Ag. In both structures, the Mn 3d states exhibit a very similar magnetic splitting which indicates a local moment of about 4 μ B. Low-energy electron diffraction provides evidence that the bare monolayer adopts a c(2×2) antiferromagnetic arrangement while the Ag-coated monolayer shows no similar superstructure, which suggests that it might be ferromagnetically ordered.