The field of ultra-thin films, a subgroup of nanomaterials, has seen an upsurge in research within the last 30 years. Studies have primarily been done using neutron and x-ray reflectometry. The technique of polarized neutron reflectometry or PNR is a unique non-destructive tool to understand thin film magnetism in mesoscopic length scale. This book presents x-ray and neutron reflectometry techniques and how they can be used to explore interface structure and magnetism at mesoscopic length scale in thin films and multilayers. The text covers the basic principles of neutron and x-ray reflectivity and different mode of neutron reflectivity with many useful examples. The reference text is helpful for research students working in the field of interface magnetism in thin film and multilayers.
Author(s): Saibal Basu, Surendra Singh
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 181
City: Bristol
PRELIMS.pdf
Preface
Author biographies
Saibal Basu
Surendra Singh
CH001.pdf
Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 Interface-driven properties using neutron/x-ray reflectometry
1.2 Emerging phenomena at interfaces using polarized neutron reflectometry
1.3 Thin-film growth mechanisms
1.4 Thin-film deposition techniques
1.4.1 Resistive heating
1.4.2 Electron beam heating
1.4.3 Molecular beam epitaxy (MBE)
1.4.4 Magnetron sputtering
1.4.5 Pulsed laser beam deposition (PLD)
1.4.6 High power pulsed magnetron sputtering (HiPPMS)
1.5 Other complementary surface characterisation techniques
References
CH002.pdf
Chapter 2 Theory of neutron reflectometry
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Optical theory of reflection
2.3 Specular NR using unpolarized neutrons
2.3.1 Fresnel reflectivity of an ideally flat surface
2.3.2 Reflection from a film of finite thickness and a periodic multilayer
2.4 Specular polarized neutron reflectometry
2.4.1 PNR without spin polarization analysis
2.4.2 PNR with spin polarization analysis
2.5 Coherence area and resolution in neutron reflectometry experiments
2.6 Off-specular (or diffuse) neutron scattering
2.7 Polarized diffuse neutron scattering
2.7.1 Polarized DNS without spin polarization analysis under the Born approximation
2.7.2 Polarized DNS with spin polarization analysis under DWBA
2.8 Data analysis for reflectometry
References
CH003.pdf
Chapter 3 Understanding emerging phenomena at interfaces using specular neutron and x-ray reflectometry
3.1 Emerging phenomena at interfaces and characterization
3.2 Ferromagnetic metal/semiconductor heterostructures
3.2.1 Asymmetric and reduced interfacial magnetization in the Fe/Ge multilayer
3.2.2 Different structural and magnetic roughnesses at the interfaces of Fe/Ge heterostructures
3.2.3 Formation of nanocrystalline alloy phase with large magnetic anisotropy at interfaces on annealing of the Fe/Ge multilayer
3.3 Interlayer exchange coupling: ferromagnetic metal/nonmagnetic metal heterostructures
3.3.1 Bilinear exchange coupling
3.3.2 Biquadratic exchange coupling
3.4 Multilayer with noncolinear and chiral magnetic structures
3.4.1 Transition metal/transition metal multilayers
3.4.2 Magnetic phase transitions in rare-earth/transition metal multilayer
3.4.3 Rare-earth/rare-earth heterostructures
3.5 Exchange bias: interface magnetization
3.5.1 Exchange bias in FM/AFM core–shell systems
3.5.2 Exchange bias in transition metal (TM)/TM oxide heterostructures
3.5.3 Exchange bias in other non-oxide-based heterostructures
3.5.4 Exchange bias in rare-earth/transition metal AFM-coupled heterostructures
3.5.5 Exchange bias in complex oxide heterostructures
3.6 Proximity effect and coupling in complex oxide magnetic and superconducting heterostructures
3.7 Strain-driven interfacial magnetism in complex oxide heterostructures
3.8 Emergent and interface-induced magnetism at complex oxide interfaces
3.9 Superdense and nonmagnetic Co phase at interfaces
3.10 Tracking interdiffusion and self-diffusion kinetics at interfaces
3.10.1 Ni/Ti multilayer
3.10.2 Ni/Al multilayer
3.10.3 FePt/Cu multilayer
3.10.4 Self-diffusion in isotopic multilayers
3.11 Proximity-driven magnetic order in topological insulators and interface magnetization in Weyl semimetal
3.12 Control of local magnetization in isovalent oxide heterostructures by interface engineering
References
CH004.pdf
Chapter 4 Correlation of interface morphology and magnetism in heterostructures: off-specular (diffuse) scattering
4.1 Off-specular (diffuse) scattering
4.2 Off-specular (diffuse) x-ray scattering
4.2.1 Interface morphology of soft matter heterostructures
4.2.2 Vertically correlated interface morphology in an organic semiconductor multilayer
4.2.3 Correlation between surface rumpling, structural phase transformation, and surface morphology in SrTiO3
4.2.4 Correlation of charge (structure) and magnetic roughness in Fe/Gd multilayers
4.2.5 Correlation between charge and magnetic morphology in manganite film
4.3 Off-specular (diffuse) neutron scattering
4.3.1 Magnetic domain disorder and its correlation in antiferromagnetically coupled multilayers
4.3.2 Corrosion-driven structure and magnetic roughness in Ni films
4.3.3 Helical magnetic structure and evolution of magnetic domains in rare-earth-based multilayers
References
CH005.pdf
Chapter 5 Summary and outlook
