Atomic spin structure of antiferromagnetic domain walls

M Bode, EY Vedmedenko, K Von Bergmann… - Nature materials, 2006 - nature.com
Nature materials, 2006nature.com
The search for uncompensated magnetic moments on antiferromagnetic surfaces is of great
technological importance as they are responsible for the exchange-bias effect that is widely
used in state-of-the-art magnetic storage devices. We have studied the atomic spin structure
of phase domain walls in the antiferromagnetic Fe monolayer on W (001) by means of spin-
polarized scanning tunnelling microscopy and Monte Carlo simulations. The domain wall
width only amounts to 6–8 atomic rows. Although walls oriented along< 100> directions are …
Abstract
The search for uncompensated magnetic moments on antiferromagnetic surfaces is of great technological importance as they are responsible for the exchange-bias effect that is widely used in state-of-the-art magnetic storage devices. We have studied the atomic spin structure of phase domain walls in the antiferromagnetic Fe monolayer on W(001) by means of spin-polarized scanning tunnelling microscopy and Monte Carlo simulations. The domain wall width only amounts to 6–8 atomic rows. Although walls oriented along <100> directions are found to be fully compensated, detailed analysis of <110>-oriented walls reveals an uncompensated perpendicular magnetic moment. Our result represents a major advance in the field of antiferromagnetism, and may lead to a better understanding of the magnetic interaction between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic materials.
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